Burning Bright
by Aesop
Summary: Bloom has a secret. She can't tell her friends and not even her adoptive parents know the whole story. Gradually, the other Winx begin to learn bits of the truth, but Bloom holds back. How would they react if they knew the whole truth about her?
1. A Strange Occurrence IRL

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Winx Club or SAO and I don't earn anything by writing this. It's just for fun.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was browsing for new ideas for my Strange Days series when I came across this notion of Bloom as an SAO survivor. The idea caught my imagination and I started to write this. Be warned that Bloom will be somewhat out of character. Can't see her going through something like that unchanged.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: Bloom has a secret. She can't tell her friends and not even her adoptive parents know the whole story. Gradually, the other Winx begin to learn bits of the truth, but Bloom holds back. How would they react if they knew the whole truth about her?

BURNING BRIGHT

CH. 1 Strange Occurrence IRL.

When Kiko had rushed out of the bushes, apparently scared out of his wits, Bloom had thought her pet rabbit had just run afoul of another squirrel. He seemed quite determined, though, that she needed to see whatever it was that had frightened him.

When she went to investigate, pushing through the bushes into an isolated clearing, the sight before her wasn't even on the list of things she expected to find. The strange girl with the staff fighting the monsters was definitely not something one saw in Gardenia every day. Things like that never happened IRL. She shook off her shock after a moment and found the calm center she'd learned to rely on while she was trapped. Whatever was going on, the girl needed help.

A mask of grim determination settled over her face and she didn't hesitate when she saw the girl knocked to the ground. She stepped into the clearing and kicked one of the smaller creatures as hard as she could; sending it into the others. That got their attention. They all turned to look at her, even the blond girl, who, arguably, had other things to concentrate on.

"Stay away from her, or else."

The big yellow creature turned to look at her. "Or else what?"

The red-head's only response was a savage grin that made the yellow thing hesitate for a moment. He didn't have long to contemplate before she charged forward and kicked another of the little things directly into his face. She jumped over the two that charged her and grabbed the staff as the yellow thing dropped it to deal with the injured and confused creature that was clawing at him.

Bloom threw the staff to the blond girl, who had regained her feet, before turning back to the…Bloom just decided to go with 'ogre' till she knew better, just in time to be jumped by several of the smaller creatures. She was trying to throw them off, when the ogre grabbed her arms and hoisted her into the air. "Enough of that," he snarled as he dangled her off the ground, both wrists clamped in one meaty paw. He glanced at the blonde. "Give me the staff or I hurt her. Huh?' He glanced down at Bloom who had lifted both of her feet and kicked him as hard as she could manage in the gut. "Heh, heh, that tickles," the ogre told her before looking at the blonde again. "Gimme the staff!"

Bloom struggled, but had no leverage and no weapons. _Definitely not like in game_ , she thought. Growing desperate as the blonde hesitated, Bloom suddenly felt a warm tingling sensation that started in her belly and spread through her body. Not knowing what it was, but suspecting it wasn't good, she struggled harder and the sensation grew more intense as she started to panic.

"Huh?" The ogre looked down at her as the arms he was holding began to grow hot to the touch. "What? Aah!" He dropped the Earth girl with the suddenly red-hot skin and backed away shaking his hand. "How'd you do that?"

"Dunno," the suddenly glowing girl responded. "But I think it went something like this!" Acting more on instinct than anything else; she jumped forward, placed her hands against the creature's chest and concentrated on pushing the sensation out through her hands. The effect was far more dramatic than she'd expected. The thing was literally hurled into the air and over the trees. The smaller creatures serving it took this as a sign they should move on and soon vanished into the shadows of the park.

"Whoa!" The blond girl was staring at her. "You've got a lot of power there, Red. Major Winx!"

Bloom took a moment to look around and make sure there were no immediate threats; then turned to look at the other girl. "Winx? Um, yeah. That was weird. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm Stella by the way." Even as she waved away Bloom's concern, she began to sway on her feet. Bloom put an arm around her waist and helped steady her. "Well…maybe I could use some rest." She did something that caused her staff to shrink and become a ring, which she slipped onto her finger.

Bloom retrieved Kiko from his hiding spot in the bushes and her bicycle from the tree she'd initially settled under when she got to the park and headed for her home. Stella explained her situation between yawns, having clearly exhausted herself fighting the ogre and the small things she called ghouls. Fairies, like the ones in the storybook she'd read repeatedly as a child, were real. Magic existed in the real world. Bloom had so many questions; she didn't know where to begin. Magic. Real magic and fairies. Wow.

The story, Bloom knew, was not something her parents would believe, but they'd cross that bridge when they came to it. They made it to her home eventually, Stella leaning on the bicycle and accepting a supporting arm from the redhead. Fortunately, her parents weren't home at the time, so explanations were delayed.

Bloom tucked her new friend into bed in the guestroom. There was no telling how long it would take Stella to recover, so she made an excuse to her parents when they got home and asked them to let Stella sleep till she felt better. They accepted, for the moment, that Stella was a friend whose parents were out of town. Bloom told them that Stella was feeling ill and had no one at home to take care of her. She checked in on her every couple of hours, hoping that Stella would awaken on her own. If it lasted more than a day, though, Bloom knew she'd have to take her to a hospital.

Much to Bloom's relief, Stella recovered, after almost a full day of sleep. They spent a few minutes talking quietly about what to say to Bloom's parents and finally decided to be straight-forward about it.

They went into the living room together and told Mike and Vanesa the whole story. As expected, Bloom's parents didn't believe a word of it, even with Stella corroborating Bloom's account. Her father reached for the phone, intent on calling the police, and possibly a mental hospital.

The phone turned into a cabbage before he could lay a hand on it. He stared for a moment before tentatively poking at it and picking it up. "Ah. Okay," he said, putting it down again. "I'm listening," he said, turning back to his daughter and her odd new friend.

Stella laid out the truth about the Magic dimension and fairies. She also broke the news to them that Bloom was probably a fairy and should really get a proper education. As Bloom had expected, that didn't go over well, and there followed a long discussion, which was, thankfully, uninterrupted by anything bizarre.

The ogre, Stella reasoned, hadn't been able to find them. "Or maybe, he decided to find someone easier to pick on." She gave Bloom a bright smile at that, one which Bloom returned, slightly confused. The Earth girl still wasn't sure what she'd done or how she'd done it. She said as much.

"That's why you need to go to Alfea," Stella enthused.

Eventually, after many questions, much consideration, and a few more demonstrations of magic, Bloom's parents agreed to let their daughter attend Alfea. Although, they didn't say so in front of Stella, they saw definite advantages to their daughter going to school in another dimension, aside from the chance to learn magic. Bloom needed a fresh start for one thing.

Thanks to her prolonged hospital stay, that was how her parents insisted on thinking of it, most of Bloom's friends had left her behind. As to the friends she had made while in the hospital, they decided that it would be for the best if she never spoke to them again. In Alfea, there would be fewer reminders of SAO and virtual reality games in general; perhaps, with a new school and a new life to focus on, Bloom could heal properly and put that horror behind her forever.

Believing it was for the best didn't, of course, mean it was easy parting with their little girl. There were tearful good-byes, and they extracted a promise from Bloom to call at least once a week; something Stella assured them was quite doable.


	2. Alfea and Magix

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Winx Club or SAO and I don't earn anything by writing this. It's just for fun.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is chapter two of Burning Bright. I hope you enjoy it.

BURNING BRIGHT

CH. 2 Alfea and Magix

Bloom waved good-bye to her parents at the barrier. The fact that she could cross it while they could not was additional proof, Stella claimed, that she was a magical creature. Mike and Vanessa reluctantly accepted that they would not be able to see the school for themselves and gave their daughter a parting hug each before Stella sent them home with a quick spell and a wave of her staff.

Squaring her shoulders, Bloom followed her new friend toward the school. It was rather a long walk, but the forest they passed through was beautiful and it gave them a little time for Stella to tell her a bit more about the school. Finally, they emerged into the fields surrounding the campus. Alfea was impressive, she had to admit. There was nothing like it on Earth, not outside of a VR game anyway.

The two blended in with the students approaching the front gates and were met there by Griselda, a sharp-faced woman with rather unflattering glasses, Bloom thought. She was also, Stella told her, Alfea's head of discipline. At that point, a potential snag she hadn't considered presented itself. She wasn't registered with the school and had no idea how to go about doing so, but Stella told her not to worry, that she had everything worked out.

Bloom wasn't sure about the plan her new friend had concocted, on the spur of the moment, it seemed, to pass her off as the princess of Calisto, but she saw no other way in, not being signed up for classes. Burying her doubts, she approached the gates as confidently as she was able. She almost faltered when she saw the way the woman was glaring.

"Well, if it isn't Princess Stella of Solaria." Griselda was clearly less than pleased to see the blond fairy. "I never thought I'd see you here. After what happened last year, I'm surprised you chose to grace us with your presence, once again." Bloom looked at Stella curiously, but her new friend just gave a cocky grin and impudent answer that annoyed Alfea's head of discipline. Then she introduced Bloom as Varanda, the princess of Calisto and Griselda nodded, made a check on her clipboard, and sent them on their way.

"See? No problem," Stella said confidently as soon as they were out of earshot of the rather scary woman.

"Unless someone figures it out." Bloom sighed, but shrugged the matter off. If that happened, she'd find a way to deal with it. "So, what happened last year?"

"It was nothing, really. Griselda loves to dramatize. I was trying to create a new shade of pink, and there was a small accident."

Bloom listened with the rest of the new students as Griselda give them a stern lecture on the school's rules before introducing Headmistress Faragonda. The Headmistress, a kindly looking white-haired woman, greeted them with a warm smile and a few simple words of caution regarding Alfea and its neighbor, the Cloud Tower School for Witches, before sending them on their way to explore the campus. Bloom took note of the chemistry lab, or rather what was left of it, as Stella gave her a brief tour. _How_ , she wondered, _do you cause something like that while mixing dyes?_

Stella's tour of the school ended with their arrival at the apartment they were to share. It seemed Stella was assigned to the same one she'd had the previous year, and on their arrival, Bloom went to explore her room and get unpacked. She hadn't taken three steps inside, though, when a pained cry and the feel of something moving underfoot caused her to jump back and scan the room for threats. A bizarre looking plant was shaking the vine she'd stepped on and wailing piteously.

"Um, sorry?" she offered hesitantly, not having seen anything this weird, even in Aincrad.

"No, I'm sorry," a slender girl with flowing brown hair said, coming forward. "I just got here and sort of left my things all over. This is a talking plant, one of my inventions. I have this theory that deforestation would be much more difficult if the plants could speak for themselves. I'm Flora by the way."

"I'm Bloom," she smiled, reaching out to shake hands, but then heard Stella clear her throat. "Well, Varanda, actually, Varanda of Callisto, but everyone calls me Bloom."

"Callisto?" a voice from the door asked. "Wow, you're quite a long way from home. I'm Techna, by the way." They turned to find a slender girl short hair, somewhere between red and purple, standing in the door. Techna glanced at Stella. "I know who you are, of course. After last year, you're rather infamous."

"I was just trying to create a new shade of pink," the blonde defended herself. "There are always risks in the pursuit of science."

"Well if you decide to blow up our crib, will you give us a little warning so we can duck and cover?" They turned to find an oriental looking girl in pigtails grinning at Stella to take the sting out of her words. Whatever retort she might have made, though, was cut short by a cry of surprise from Stella's plant. They turned to find it dangling Kiko by his hind legs and shaking him.

"Oh! Bad plant," Flora scolded. "Put him down."

"Don't be mad at your plant, Flora. Kiko was probably trying to eat it." Bloom retrieved her wayward pet, and gently scolded him. Flora used a spell to conjure a bunch of carrots for the rabbit to nibble on. "Looks like you've made a friend for life," Bloom observed with a smile as her pet began happily devouring the feast.

With the last arrival, Musa, the introductions were quickly completed, and the group decided to go out to dinner together to celebrate the start of the new term. Bloom was a bit worried when none of them knew what pizza was, but if Magix didn't have it, she decided, she'd just have to introduce her favorite food to the populace. She wondered if she could pass it off as the national dish of Calisto.

OOOOOOOOOO

The city of Magix was a bit of a disappointment for her. It was like a lot of big cities on Earth, but with an odd mix of magical and high-tech touches thrown in. It seemed a bit silly, she realized, to expect something like Alne when the people of Magix had access to the kind of technology they evidently did, and she shrugged it off. It would have seemed odd if the place was like Alne, she decided, as each of the girls carried a cell phone and other modern accessories. Techna asked her about her reaction, but Bloom shrugged it off, saying she hadn't been sure what to expect of the place, but it was definitely a changes from where she'd grown up.

The other girls were happy to show her around Magix, pointing out various sights and answering her questions. Stella naturally focused on the best places to shop, something that the others just rolled their eyes over. Bloom was more interested in the details the others seemed to take for granted and marveled at the way normally mundane activities, such as parking a car, were made extraordinary by the use of magic. The fact that the cars flew was something she barely noticed at first. What was high tech machinery compared to magic after all? The seamless blending of the two did impress her though, as many of the stories she'd read at home said that magic and technology didn't mix well. Clearly, those stories, like the fairy tales she'd read as a child, had gotten a few things wrong.

Soon enough, the group began to debate places to eat. Everyone had their favorites, but they eventually settled on a small café that Musa had heard about that served good food. The place had an interesting menu and low key music that didn't make conversation impossible. They decided to sit outside, as the weather was warm and clear that night, and Stella announced it was her treat, and to order whatever they felt like. Each girl ordered something that looked good to them, and settled in to enjoy the outing.

While they waited for their food, they began talking about their homes, a conversation Bloom couldn't really participate in without risking exposure. She made the timely discovery that her cell phone wouldn't work in Magix and went to find a payphone, at Techna's suggestion. The technology savvy fairy had laughed at the sight of Bloom's 'antiquated device' and loaned her a prepaid card to use with the payphone.

Fortunately, there was a phone booth only a couple of blocks away. She followed the directions on the card and then dialed her home number. The connection was made with no trouble, and she was soon talking to her mother. She assured Vanessa that she was fine and the school was proving to be a wonderful place so far.

"In fact, I've already made some new friends." She started to share details of her first encounter with the girls she'd be sharing an apartment with, but the conversation was cut short when Bloom spotted the ogre that had attacked Stella in Gardenia heading toward the café where her friends were waiting.


	3. Confrontation

See Chapter 1 for disclaimers

BURNING BRIGHT

CH. 3 First Confrontation

She wrapped up the call to her parents and followed as quickly and quietly as she could. Tracking the creature didn't take much effort. He seemed mostly oblivious to anything that wasn't directly in his path, and soon he reached his goal, unaware of her presence. He was talking to three teenage girls Bloom took to be Cloud Tower witches. She couldn't hear much, but they were definitely talking about Stella.

She didn't have long to think on a course of action, however, before a small sound behind her alerted her to the presence of another person. She started to turn but was sent flying through the air, landing with a bone-jarring thud at the feet of the girls she'd been spying on. Rolling to her feet, Bloom quickly moved to put all four enemies in her view as she assessed the situation. One, she noted, the green-haired girl, was in two places at once until the one standing with the other girls faded out of existence. _Illusion_ , Bloom realized.

The three witches were laughing at her, amused by the fact that she'd fallen for the trick and asking what a pathetic loser like her was doing spying on them. They were clearly not taking her seriously. _I'll have to change that_ , she decided. Two years in a coma hadn't done her body any favors, but the course of physical therapy and continued regimen of exercise since had left her in better shape than she'd been in her life. It was still a shock, though, to feel the reflexes she'd relied on in game kick in.

She jumped nimbly aside to avoid a spell one of the witches threw at her for not paying them proper respect and grabbed a short length of rebar from a pile of debris in the alley. It wasn't a terribly impressive weapon, but it was a meter long and better than nothing. She swung at the ogre's face, driving him back more in surprise than fear.

"Your highnesses, that's the girl who stopped me on Earth!" He backed away nervously. Bloom prepared to take advantage of that, ready for a tactical retreat, as she didn't know what the three girls were capable of, but then one aimed a bolt of lightning at her.

"You'll learn not to interfere with us if it kills you, loser," she mocked.

 _They're trying to kill me;_ she realized and went on the offensive without hesitation. Not ready for a physical attack, the lightning wielder collected a nasty bruise to the arm she raised instinctively to block the swing at her head. Bloom jumped aside, avoiding a barrage of ice blades from the white-haired one before lunging forward and stabbing Icy, she heard one of the others call her, in the chest, knocking her back.

"How dare you!" she seethed even as Bloom brought her make-shift blade down on the arm of the last as she tried to cast a spell. "Knut! Get her!" Bloom reversed her swing and took another swipe at Icy, driving the three back. "This girl is nuts!" Icy cried. Bloom side-stepped the ogre's charge and gave him a solid whack on the ankle for good measure, causing him to stumble into the three girls, flattening them. "Knut! You useless creature!" Icy seethed and waved her hands causing Knut to vanish to parts unknown.

"Try to hurt me or my friends and I won't hold back," Bloom promised as she came at them again, not wanting to give any of them time to make _her_ vanish. She had learned the hard way that holding back when the other person was trying to kill you and your friends was plain stupid. She'd made that mistake in Aincrad and wouldn't make it again. It was best to respond in kind and accept the consequences later.

The three girls took to the air to get out of range. "Time to teach little miss hacks-a-lot some manners," the one she'd heard the others call Stormy said.

"Agreed," Icy raised her hands. A white mist began to form between her hands and began to spin faster and faster. Bloom doubted she could dodge whatever the witch was preparing to throw at her and thought fast.

SAO hadn't been her last VRMMORPG game despite her parents' wishes. In the most recent, Alfheim Online, she was able to learn and use magic. She didn't know if the spells would work, but it was worth a shot, as her physical abilities had carried over. She quickly recited the incantation to her favorite spell, one that the handle she'd earned in SAO had inspired, while visualizing the effect she wanted. Then, taking a deep breath, she exhaled in the direction of the flying girls. Much to her surprise, it worked, sort of. The effect wasn't quite what she'd hoped for, but it worked. Instead of a single fire ball, she got a stream of sustained fire, like the output of a flamethrower. It scattered her three adversaries the way the arrival of a predator might scatter a school of fish.

"Damn!" one of them exclaimed. "She nearly roasted us. This girl _is_ nuts!"

"Retreat, sisters," the white-haired leader seethed. "We'll have to get the ring another night." They quickly teleported away, leaving Bloom to glare after them. After a moment, the cold mask of determination faded from her face and she coughed and rubbed her throat.

"Gotta work on that," she croaked, her throat parched. "I need some water." Then, she took note of the cries of alarm from neighboring streets and tossed away the length of rebar before retreating into the shadows to slip back to where her friends were waiting.

All four were staring in the direction of the battle when she arrived. "What the heck was that?!" Musa demanded. Then she spotted Bloom. "Bloom, did you see that explosion?"

"Yeah," Bloom nodded, after downing half a glass of water. "What happened?"

The girls all shrugged and settled in to eat their meals, deciding it wasn't really their concern as the Magix fire brigade was probably already responding. Bloom hid a wince at that, hoping that she hadn't actually started a fire. The conversation over dinner was light and casual, and Bloom made no mention of the ogre in front of the others, deciding to talk to Stella in private later. As it turned out, she didn't have the chance.

OOOOOOOOOO

Griselda and Headmistress Faragonda were waiting for them when they got back to Alfea. "I believe there is something you need to tell us, Princess Stella," Griselda began, glaring at the princess of Solaria, "and whoever you are," she added, turning to Bloom.

Bloom winced. She knew lying would come back to bite her. The other girls looked at the two curiously, until Bloom sighed. "I can explain."

That explanation took time, but Bloom was sincere in her desire to attend Alfea and learn how to be a fairy. Bloom admitted that she'd been adopted and that the discovery of her magic raised a lot of questions for her, questions she could only answer at Alfea. Griselda was not moved, but the Headmistress eventually agreed to let Bloom stay, and forgave Stella for her deception, after issuing a stern warning. The five girls returned to their apartment, exhausted, and Bloom decided the story of the fight with the witches could wait till the next morning.


	4. Settling in and Making Friends

See Chapter 1 for disclaimers

BURNING BRIGHT

CH. 4 Settling In and Making Friends

She didn't have the opportunity, as the girls had to rush through breakfast together before starting classes. Bloom eventually decided to let the matter go as the witches didn't make an appearance over the next few days. In that time, she grew closer to the girls, and consequently more wary of showing them that side of herself.

Flora, her roommate, was the gentlest person she'd ever met. The fairy flower child, as Stella had jokingly described her would probably want nothing to do with Bloom if she found out what the Earth girl was capable of, let alone what she'd done.

Techna would likely see the logic in her approach to violent confrontations, but the group's techno-whiz wasn't as thick-skinned as she liked people to believe. She, too, would pull away from Bloom. She suspected they all would, and even though they'd just met, Bloom suspected that that would be more than she could bear.

An opportunity to talk to Stella had come at the end of the first day, but she had let it pass for reasons she couldn't be sure of. The blond fairy had taken her on a field trip to see Red Fountain to meet some of the specialists. Apparently, she loved to watch the boys work out, Prince Sky especially. He was cute, Bloom admitted, but she found her eyes drawn to his squire, Brandon. With long golden hair, an engaging smile and the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen, Bloom could barely take her eyes off him.

Their drills were interesting as well. Bloom found herself critiquing their form and making comments to Stella as she watched them spar. One of the specialists, a young man with dark red, nearly purple hair overheard her and grew angry after her comments about his balance and his tendency to over-extend himself proved prophetic.

"Hey, Red. Keep your mouth shut, your distracting me."

"If I'm a distraction, how are you going to handle a real fight?" Bloom asked curiously. "You're not going to have ideal conditions on a mission, are you?"

Brandon laughed. "She's right, Riven. Get your head in the game."

"Maybe you'd like to show us how it's done, huh, Red?" Riven mocked.

"That would be funny," Stella laughed. "The first day I met her, she fought an ogre and a bunch of ghouls. Doubt you'd be a challenge."

Bloom gave her friend an annoyed look. "Stella, don't encourage him; besides, I'd rather not spread that around."

"Why?" Stella asked in confusion. "You kicked ass, girl!"

"So come down and show us," Riven teased. "Brandon can lend you his blade. Unless you're just a weak little fairy, in which case you should just shut up about things you don't understand."

"I dunno, Riven," Timmy offered. "Her analysis of your weaknesses was surprisingly accurate. You sure you want to risk the embarrassment?"

Riven's face turned nearly the same shade as his hair as the others laughed. "Put up or shut up," he said, glaring at the girls.

Bloom felt her temper fraying and stood up. "You sure you want to do this?" she asked the arrogant specialist as she started towards him.

"Very," he smirked. "Brandon, lend her your sword."

"Go ahead, Brandon," Stella said. "It'll be fine," she smirked and added more quietly, "for Bloom, anyway."

Brandon reluctantly handed her his sword. "Be careful," he advised.

"I will," Bloom promised. Brandon showed her how to activate the energy sword and adjust the settings.

"At these settings, it's a blunt object. You might collect a few bruises, but nothing more serious."

"Oh, good, so I won't hurt Riven." Everyone but Riven laughed at that. They stepped away from the others. Riven took a two handed grip, holding his blade in front of him. Bloom tested the weight and found that it had virtually none. Then she assumed a stance she'd learned from Kirito, with the hilt held at shoulder level, the blade pointed directly toward Riven. Emotion drained from the normally cheerful and amiable girl, and a blank mask of concentration settled over her features. The change was profound enough to give Riven pause for a second, and then he shrugged it off.

"This'll be easy," the arrogant specialist smirked. Abandoning his ready stance he rushed forward, sure of an easy victory. Bloom pivoted out of the way as her sword came down with surprising speed and force. It struck at the back of the blade, directly above the pommel, tearing it from his grip. She continued the spin she'd begun, driving an elbow into his ribs just below the armpit. Continuing the spin she swung her blade at the back of his left knee as he staggered by, causing it to fold under him. Riven fell flat on his back and found her blade coming at his face, only to stop inches above his nose.

"In a real battle, underestimating your opponent gets you killed," she advised, deactivating the blade and extending a hand to help him up. Riven ignored it and got to his feet.

"Okay, so I assumed you'd be easy and got sloppy. Won't happen again. You up for another go?"

"Sure," Bloom shrugged and took her ready stance, her blank expression never wavering. This time Riven moved more cautiously. He started with a series of probing attacks that Bloom blocked or dodged, whichever required less effort, Then, he got serious, increasing the speed and force of his attacks and Bloom stayed on the defensive, examining his attack patterns, just as she would have with a monster in Aincrad, until an opening presented itself. Riven was not, by nature, a strategist. He relied on speed and power, and against Bloom, he came up short in both, and soon found himself disarmed and on the ground again.

"What is going on here?"

Everyone turned to see Codatorta, one of the school's instructors, approaching. It was Stella who answered; her tone sweet innocence. "Just what is supposed to happen at Red Fountain, Professor. Someone's getting schooled."

The other specialists burst out laughing, while Riven ground his teeth in frustration. "Let's see how fast you really are." He made a quick adjustment to his weapon and fired two quick energy blasts at Bloom, who had begun to turn away to face Codatorta.

To everyone's shock, she batted both aside before swatting the weapon from his hand, breaking a couple of his fingers in the process, knocked him to the ground and stabbed the point into the dirt an inch from his neck. During this exchange, her features never altered. There was no surprise or anger, just the blank mask of concentration. Riven stared up at her, a little unnerved by this.

Codatorta was the least affected of the group that witnessed the exchange. While still shocked at the girl's display, he didn't let it slow him down. He pulled Riven to his feet. "What the hell do you think you were doing?!" he demanded. He proceeded to give the young specialist a dressing down that had the rest of them wincing and quietly promising never to get on the old soldier's bad side.

Bloom reacted right along with them, her mask fading as the immediate threat had passed, and she found herself back to what passed for normal. When Codatorta turned to her, she looked down guiltily. "Um, I guess I kind of overreacted."

"Perhaps, a bit," he allowed, "but it was completely understandable. Rest assured Riven will be punished for his rashness. I would like to know, though, where you learned to fight like that."

Bloom shrugged, rather at a loss to explain it herself. While it was true that she'd never been in real danger in Gardenia since waking up from SAO, she was still surprised at the way her reflexes and skills had been retained. She'd never picked up a sword outside the game and wondered if her growing magic had something to do with it. "Kind of a long story," she said in lieu of an answer. "I don't like to talk about it, much."

Codatorta shrugged, letting the matter drop. "You'd best get back to Alfea."

Bloom nodded and turned away, only to find Brandon waiting for her. "Can I have my sword back?" he asked, his tone teasing.

"Oh! Sorry." She handed it over with surprising reluctance. "Kind of wish I had one myself. Magic or no, I feel kinda naked without a weapon." The words were out of her mouth before she realized it and Brandon was looking at her strangely. "Um, that probably sounds pretty strange coming from a fairy."

"You'll have to tell me about that some time," he smiled. "Must be quite a story." He didn't press and changed topic smoothly. "The welcome dance at Alfea is at the end of the week. I hope you're as graceful on the dance floor."

"You'll find out," Bloom promised with a smile. "Now, I should get going." She turned and found that Stella was caught up in a conversation with Prince Sky. "Stella. I'm headed back," she called. "Catch up when you can."

She headed back toward the bus stop to catch the last of the day, hoping Stella wouldn't linger too long. Brandon had improved her mood immensely, but she was still angry, more with herself than Riven, though. She knew she shouldn't have reacted so harshly. Those energy shots had been little more than a light show. Not much force behind them, yet she had reacted as if he'd tried to kill her. "Get a grip girl," she muttered to herself. "You can't fly off the handle like that."

"Indeed, not," an unexpected voice next to her responded. Bloom whirled to face the stranger. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Saladin, the headmaster of Red Fountain, and that was a most impressive display, despite your overreactions."

"I'm sorry, headmaster. I…" She trailed off.

"I wasn't just referring to your reaction to Riven's sneak attack. That elbow during your first match might have broken ribs if not for his padding, and the force you put behind that blow to the back of his knee could have caused serious damage." He gave her a piercing look. "You don't know how to hold back, do you?"

"I…" Bloom hesitated over the frank and very accurate appraisal. "I respond with appropriate force when threatened," she said carefully.

"That's hardly the same thing," Saladin observed blandly. "Who taught you to fight like that?"

Bloom hesitated over an answer, but it was clear the old man would not be satisfied with silence. "I guess," she began reluctantly, "that's what happens when you learn from people and things that are actually trying to kill you."

Saladin's expression grew grave, and he nodded. "That does explain a few things." He paused, considering. "I won't press for details, my dear, but if you need to talk about it, and I believe you should, seek me out."

"Thanks," she sighed. "I appreciate that."


	5. Schemes

See Chapter 1 for Disclaimers

CH. 5 Schemes

On the ride back to Alfea, Bloom asked Stella not to tell the other girls what happened at Red Fountain, admitting that she was embarrassed by the way she had overreacted during her spar with Riven. She didn't want the others thinking she was crazy, after all. Stella agreed, even though she didn't understand Bloom's reasons. She thought Riven had 'totally had it coming.' When they got back to Alfea, Bloom distracted her friend by asking for help in preparing for the welcoming dance. Nothing, she had learned, distracted the fashion-conscious fairy like talk of a party and everything that went with it, especially new dresses.

It worked, and the other girls were soon drawn into the planned shopping trip that took place the next evening after classes. Bloom didn't have much money to work with, but she was in need of something to wear to the dance. Stella dismissed her concerns, certain they'd find something in Magix that would work. Bloom was glad to note that by the time the planning session was over, the business with Riven seemed to have been forgotten.

It took visits to six different stores, but each of the girls managed to find something they liked. Bloom winced at the prices she encountered. Eventually, though, she found a store having a sale and was able to purchase a dress on her own. She'd overheard Stella offering to buy one for her, but thankfully, Techna had headed off the attempt at generosity. Bloom knew her blonde friend meant well, but money, she believed, was a subject best avoided even by the best of friends.

With acquisition of a dress out of the way, the rest of the first week was spent getting used to life at Alfea and growing closer to her new friends. The classes, the people, and the environment itself were all new to her. She loved it. Perhaps, she admitted, her parents had been right. A fresh start was just what she needed. That didn't mean she didn't want to see her old friends, but there were more urgent matters at the moment. With Techna's help she had dropped a quick note to her friends on Earth saying she was starting a new school and might not be around for a while. With that concern out of the way she was able to concentrate on the new life she was making for herself.

The day of the dance, Bloom found herself looking forward to seeing Brandon again. She was running a bit late, having fussed with her dress, hair, and makeup too long; so she was alone in the corridor when she heard three voices she recognized.

Stepping into a convenient alcove, Bloom cast a spell she had learned from Leafa, creating the illusion that the alcove was empty. She watched the three witches walk by; talking quietly about stealing Stella's ring and the prank they intended to play with the gifts from the Red Fountain students. Bloom didn't know what snake-rats were, but they didn't sound like they'd make good pets. She caught her breath when Stormy stopped and stared at her in confusion. The witch's words forestalled any action on Bloom's part, though.

"Why is there a painting of that fire-breathing fairy here?"

The others paused to stare at Bloom's hiding place. "Some people have no taste," Icy snarked before shrugging and moving on. "Losers."

 _Okay, weird_ , Bloom thought, watching them pass out of sight around a corner. As soon as they were gone, she took another route to the hall where she found Stella, Flora, Techna and Musa and quickly filled them in on what she had overheard of the witches' plan.

"Snake-rats?" Musa asked, wrinkling her nose. "Sounds nasty."

"They are," Techna answered, calling up a hologram of one of the creatures on her portable computer. "Venomous swamp creatures. Bite causes nausea and-"

"Spare us the details," Stella put a hand over the projection. "Let's just undo their spell."

"Better do it quick," Flora advised. "Here comes the chest. Everyone join hands." They pooled their magic and cast a counter-spell. All five breathed a sigh of relief when the first of the gifts, a golden egg, was opened, and a swarm of butterflies was released.

"What about Stella's ring?" Bloom asked, worriedly. She wasn't sure how they intended to steal it, as it seemed unlikely they knew where Stella's room was.

Flora smiled and said, "Don't worry. I can take care of that." She concentrated a moment; then cast a spell. "They'll find a nice little surprise when they open that box."

"You sure?" Bloom asked pointing out the window. The three witches were visible at the edge of the lawn, lurking in the shadows. One of them was eagerly stretching out her hand to receive the small jewelry box floating toward them, drawn by whatever spell they had cast.

"I'm sure," Flora smiled confidently. They watched the impatient witches snatch the box out of the air, open it and take out an egg, just like the one the Red Fountain students had brought as gifts for the Alfea students.

"Snake-rat?" Bloom asked hopefully, causing Stella and Musa to laugh.

"No," Flora shuddered. "Those three would probably adopt one of those. This'll be worse, for them anyway."

The egg exploded in a cloud of smoke revealing a duckling with lavender feathers. Bloom stared in confusion as the little creature started quacking happily and trying to hug and kiss Icy. The three witches responded with disgust, knocking the duck away. The little thing, undeterred, started waddling after Icy as she stared in horror at the inoffensive little creature.

"If that's all it takes to drive them away…" Bloom started. She broke off when the witches turned and headed off, apparently realizing that the fairies were on to them. "Well…" Bloom hesitated, not sure what to make of that. "That was easy."

"Don't question it," Stella advised. "Just enjoy it." They all laughed over that, but were soon drawn back to the party.

Brandon had come with a special gift for Bloom. "You'll probably have to keep this hidden," he warned, "but it should suit you." She opened the box and found an energy sword, just like Brandon's.

"Thank you," she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll feel much better having this, with those three witches poking around." Brandon looked confused at that and Bloom briefly explained that they had had to head off a vicious prank by some cloud tower students.

"Can't say I'm surprised," Brandon grimaced. "Good catch." He glanced down at his gift. "It does seem strange for a fairy to want, let alone use, a sword," Brandon admitted, changing the subject. "Can you tell me…?"

"It's a difficult topic," Bloom cut him off, looking down. "I'm sorry. I think, though, that I'll be able to tell you one day."

Sky nodded amicably, not understanding her reluctance but not wanting to risk losing the chance to get closer to the beautiful fairy. "That's okay. Whenever you're ready. It sounds like something you might need to talk about."

"That's what Saladin said," Bloom nodded glumly. She told him about her run in with the headmaster of Red Fountain when she saw Brandon's curious look. "I guess I'll have to talk about it at some point. But…I don't want to think about it tonight. Right now, I just want to dance."

Brandon smiled and decided he was okay with that.


	6. Date With Disaster

See Chapter 1 for Disclaimers

CH. 6 Date With Disaster

"Isn't it short notice?" Techna asked, giving the dresses Stella held up a critical eye and pointing to the one she liked best.

"Yeah," Stella answered as she selected shoes to go with her latest selection, "and he loses points there, but he wins some for the personalized invitation."

Bloom watched the festivities with a smile, not really participating in the preparations for Stella's big date with Prince Sky. She'd missed out on a lot while trapped in SAO and watching girlfriends fret over normal things like guys and dating was kind of fun.

It had been two weeks since the welcome dance, and things were going very well for Bloom. Classes were great, though still strange, and she was finally getting the hang of using her fairy magic. She could have done without the outing to Blackmud Swamp, though. That had been messy and unpleasant in several ways, especially since Stella complained the whole way, but it had been educational. She had learned quite a bit about the local animal and plants life, and not being allowed to use her magic had actually helped her focus.

The very next day, she had managed, with Professor Wizgiz' guidance, to transform for the first time. It was nothing like using magic in Alfheim, which made sense, as much as any of it made sense, but it was still wonderful. She had done a few small experiments, but the spells from the game never quite gave her what she wanted. There was always some odd little twist.

A spell to give herself night vision left her needing sunglasses for two days as all it did was dilate her eyes. The other girls were curious about that, and even the school nurse was a bit baffled, telling her that it would just have to wear off. After that, she'd been more careful with her experiments.

She had kept in touch with her friends from SAO by email, but hadn't yet found time to try to get her AmuSphere to work. They were missing her in game, but they all knew that real life took precedence. Bloom had promised that she would find time to get the equipment and connections properly set up soon.

The only thing about her time at Alfea so far that genuinely troubled her was the odd dreams she had been having. For the first time in a long time, they had nothing to do with SAO. Instead, she found herself in a dark place, with a female voice calling her name. She always woke up calling out to whoever it was, and frankly, it had the other girls concerned. Flora had told Bloom that she had actually transformed in her sleep and that that was not normal. None of them were sure what to make of it. Techna had theorized that someone was trying to contact her, but couldn't offer any insight as to why they would use dreams to do it.

Returning her attention to the discussion, she saw Stella finally find a dress and turn her attention to hair and makeup. Bloom went back to her homework and left her friend to it, only looking up from her essay for Palladium to wave good-bye and wish Stella luck and to accept the ring of Solaria, promising to keep it safe. Apparently, it didn't go with the dress.

OOOOOOOOOO

Bloom woke to the sound of a crash. She sat up in bed and discovered that she had, without even thinking about it, had slid a hand under her pillow to where Brandon's gift was hidden. Withdrawing the hand with a grimace at her overreaction, she went to investigate.

Another loud noise allowed her to pinpoint the disturbance as coming from Stella's room and she knocked. "Stella? Everything okay?" There was no answer, and the others joined her, looking concerned. Bloom reached for the handle, but it was yanked out of her hand. Stella glared out at them.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just looking for something and knocked something over. Go back to bed."

"How was the date?" Flora asked.

"It was fine, now I'm busy." Stella tried to close the door, but Musa blocked her.

"Not so fast, girl, we want details."

"I don't have time right now. Why don't you get a life of your own?!" Stella shoved the door shut.

"Rude much?" Musa huffed. "Whatever. I'm going back to bed." The others, though a little concerned at the odd behavior, agreed to give Stella some space, assuming the date hadn't gone at all well. They got up an hour or so later and went to breakfast. There was no sign of Stella. They didn't see her at all that morning

When they returned to their dorm, shortly after lunch, they found their friend, tearing apart their rooms, searching for something. "Stella! What are you doing?" Bloom demanded on finding the blond princess in her room.

"I'm looking for my ring, where is it?" The sun and moon fairy demanded.

"Your ring?" Bloom blinked in confusion. "You gave it to me for safe keeping last night. You know that."

Stella rounded on her, glaring. "Then give it back, now! Hand it over you little brat!"

Bloom backed away from her, realizing something was wrong and thinking fast. "What's got into you? You're acting really strange."

"Just hand it over!"

"Stella gave it to me for safekeeping," Bloom shook her head. "If you were Stella, you'd know that." She flared her magic, driving the other back. "Who are you?"

With a growl of frustration, the other girl conjured an energy ball and threw it at her. "Hand it over, brat!"

Bloom dodged it and dove for her bed and the sword hidden there as the others burst in. Seeing reinforcements, the imposter fled out the window.

"What the heck's going on?" Musa demanded. "Who trashed our crib?"

"That would be whoever is impersonating Stella," Bloom said to the group as she clipped the sword to her belt and disguised it with a quick illusion she had learned for that purpose. She explained her reasoning and the others exchanging worried looks.

"That is logical," Techna allowed. "You think the witches are after her ring again?"

"Most likely," Bloom nodded. "So, let's go find the real Stella."

"We should start at the beginning," Techna suggested. "See if Prince Sky knows anything." They all agreed, and after making their excuses to the school, headed to Red Fountain in search of Stella's boyfriend.

It didn't take long to find him. Unfortunately, Sky was baffled by their questions and told them that he hadn't spoken to Stella in days, let alone asked her out. He had also never heard of the café where they had allegedly been planning to meet.

With that as a dead end, the group headed for Magix to search for the Black Lagoon Café, the supposed site of Stella's date. A thorough search of multiple city directories by Techna proved fruitless. There was no listing for such a place, unusual for a new business trying to draw in customers. They then began asking questions of people on the street. None of the people they spoke to had ever heard of it.

Tired and dispirited, they sat down near a fountain in one of the city's many parks to rest and consider their options. "Where would the witches have wanted to take Stella?" Musa asked, deciding a new approach was needed.

"Somewhere secluded," Techna reasoned. She thought hard for a moment. "They wouldn't invite her somewhere public to ambush her."

"Makes sense," Musa sighed. "But that doesn't exactly narrow it down."

"Hey, ladies!" They looked up to see a short rotund man wearing sunglasses and fashionable clothes approaching them. "Did I hear right? You're looking for the Black Lagoon Café?"

"That's right," Bloom nodded. It had been almost five minutes since they'd asked anyone, so this seemed more than suspicious. "Do you know where it is?"

"It's a pretty new place, so not many know about it, but it's amazing, only the best get in." He looked them over. "You girls look cool enough to me." He gave them directions. "See you there." He quickly ran off.

"So," Bloom frowned. "We spend all afternoon looking for the place with no luck, and then a guy comes out of nowhere and gives us directions? There's only one word for a coincidence like that."

"Contrived?" Techna offered.

"Exactly," Bloom nodded

"Who do you think was under that illusion? Icy, Darcy, or Stormy?"

"Does it matter?" Musa asked.

"Not really," Techna shrugged, rising to her feet. "Just curious. Let's get going."

"But it's a trap," Flora pointed out.

Bloom shrugged and gave them a grin Stella would have recognized. "They're problem, not ours." She started to lead the way, following the directions the 'helpful stranger' had provided, but had only gone a couple of blocks when she saw a couple of familiar faces. "Brandon! Riven! Are we glad to see you."

The two specialists stopped and turned to the see the Alfea students rushing toward them. "What's up, Bloom?" Brandon asked with a smile at the sight of her.

The girls quickly explained what had happened and what they believed was behind it. Brandon and Riven were immediately all business. "Then we'll go get her back," Brandon said confidently.

Riven looked mildly interested at the prospect of a fight, but he would only glare moodily at Bloom who rolled her eyes at his childishness and led the way toward the café. It was quite a distance from where they found the two specialists, and the long walk gave them time to plan. By the time they reached the bridge they had been told of, they had a rough strategy mapped out. Just beyond the bridge, on the outskirts of the city was a cottage with a sign out front declaring the place to be the Black Lagoon Café. The group stopped out of sight of the place and studied it.

"Something about that place isn't right," Flora said with a slight shudder. "I can't sense the life energy of any of those plants."

"Illusion?" Techna asked.

"Probably," Flora nodded.

"We need a look inside before we barge in," Bloom said, the look of cold determination slipping over her face. Brandon nodded. "How are you two at recon?"

Riven snorted as if it were a stupid question. "Leave it to us." The two slipped into the bushes and quickly vanished. There was barely a sound to mark their passage Bloom noticed, impressed with their skill.

"If the witches have spells to detect intruders," Flora realized, "they could be walking into trouble."

"I hadn't thought of that," Bloom admitted. "We need a plan B." She glanced at Techna after a moment's thought. "What about that techno-beetle thing of yours?"

Her friend took out a compact sized device and manipulated the controls. "Yes. This should get us visual and audio. The range is a bit much. We should get closer."

"Not till we get an idea of what's going on inside," Bloom shook her head. "Don't want to give ourselves away if the boys don't get noticed."

Techna nodded, realizing that was reasonable. "I'll do what I can."

"It almost sounds like you've done this before," Musa looked at Bloom curiously.

"I have," Bloom, acknowledged. "This is different, but I've done some sneaking around." Actually, Bloom realized, it wasn't that different from some of the things she'd done in Aincrad. The stakes, she realized, were just as high here.

"I've got something," Techna exclaimed when the beetle returned a few minutes later. "Audio and video." She adjusted the settings carefully. "It looks like the boys are just outside, and they haven't been spotted." They watched the projection form. The three witches had Stella bound in some kind of magic bands. She appeared to be unconscious.

"She passed out again?" Icy snorted. "Loser."

"Hope they get here soon," Darcy complained. "All this waiting around is pissing me off."

"They'll come," Icy assured the others. "Knut told them how to find us. And when they get here, we'll make a simple trade, the fairy for the ring."

"Then the ultimate power will be ours." Darcy grinned in anticipation.

"Are we sure the Dragon's Fire is in that little ring?" Stormy asked. "Kind of dinky and tasteless if you ask me."

"We'll know soon enough," Icy answered evenly. The replay ended.

"Dragon's Fire?" Bloom asked. The others shrugged. They waited until the boys returned, deciding not to tell them about the beetle.

"They've got Stella," Brandon confirmed. "Some kind of spell restraining her."

"They want the ring," Riven reported. "Think it'll give 'em access to something called Dragon's Fire."

"Only Dragon's Fire I can think of," Bloom thought aloud, "is the legendary dragon. That would be pretty powerful, I guess."

"And they think Stella has it?" Flora asked in confusion. "But her ring draws power from the suns."

"Guess they don't know that," Brandon shrugged. Then he grinned. "Let's go break the news."

"That's not all I'm gonna break," Bloom swore. "These three think they can just grab our friend and hold her for ransom? They aren't getting away with this."

"Agreed," Brandon nodded. "The basic plan we came up with will work. If you girls can create a distraction, pretend you're ready to give them what they want; we can surprise them and free Stella."

"That should work," Flora said. "Get ready."

"Give us three minutes to get into position," Riven told them and headed off with Brandon right behind him.

Four minutes later, the Alfea students walked through the front door of the cottage, and managed to act surprised to see the three witches holding Stella hostage. Icy, as usual, spoke for the group. "Give us the ring of Solaria, and you can have her back unharmed."

"You expect us to believe you?" Bloom asked.

"We'll have no use for her after we have the ring," Icy shrugged, "besides, what choice do you have? Give us the ring or we'll crush this loser!" With a gesture, she caused the bands to contract, squeezing a gasp out of Stella.

"Alright," Bloom agreed, after spending a moment appearing to consider her options. "You can have the ring." She took it out of her pocket and held it out, watching the three closely as they approached, eyeing their prize greedily. They never saw Brandon drop through a hole in the decaying roof and cut through the energy bands binding her.

Riven hit the floor a second behind him. Catching Stella as she fell and putting her over his shoulder, he sprinted for the door, getting her away from the witches. Darcy turned at the sound and opened her mouth to call a warning, but was too late. Bloom closed her left hand around the ring, and used the right to loosen Icy's teeth.

The witch staggered back even as Stormy and Darcy turned to face Brandon. "Icy!" Darcy turned back in time to see her sister stagger before letting out an outraged shriek and lashing out with a barrage of knife-sharp ice shards. They were blocked by a shield Techna raised.

"You can't win this ladies," Musa told them conjuring a pair of speakers on either side of the witches and torturing them with sound. Darcy dissipated the spell with a gesture.

"You're going to pay for that, pixie!"

"Doubt it," Bloom produced Brandon's gift. Activating the blade, she advanced on the three witches, driving them back with a fast series of slashes and thrusts, forcing them to conjure shields to defend themselves.

Deciding they needed more room to work, Stormy blasted a hole in the wall while fending off Brandon. They retreated through the hole with Bloom hot on their heels, apparently intent on cutting them to pieces as one of her swipes cut the heel off of Stormy's shoe. Brandon was a step behind her, and just as intent on causing bodily harm.

"I've warned you before," Bloom shouted as she caught up to them. "You don't threaten my friends."

"We'll have that ring," Icy declared as the three took to the air.

"Why?" Bloom asked, her tone cold. "The ring draws on the power of the suns, not the Dragon's Fire." The three witches stopped where they were and stared, shocked that she apparently knew their true goal. None of them saw Riven throw his bola.

The first the witches knew of it was when it bound Darcy's left leg to Storm's right. Both fell out of the air with startled cries. They hit the ground hard but still managed to throw lethal looking spells at Musa, Techna, and Flora as they emerged from the ruined cottage. With the illusion stripped away, the place no longer looked so inviting.

Techna managed to shield them, again, but their action enraged Bloom. "You three want dragon's fire? All you had to do was ask!" The witches watched in horror as Bloom cast a quick spell and inhaled deeply.

"Icy!" Darcy cried in alarm, as the white-haired witch hastily raised an ice wall to protect them even as Stormy succeeded in freeing them from the bola. The flames Bloom spewed forth vaporized the ice wall in only five seconds, but the three witches were long gone by then.

Brandon, Riven, and the girls stared at her as she got a grip on her temper. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax, as the crisis had passed. "Sorry about that," she told them. "I didn't mean to frighten you, just them."

"Frighten them?" Musa asked. "Looked like you were trying to barbecue them."

"What did you mean, you warned them before?" Techna asked, causing to Bloom to wince slightly. She never had found a good time to tell the other girls about that.

"I…I kind of forgot to tell you… I ran into them my first night here," she admitted. "They were after the ring then, too. We…ah…had words, I spit fire at them, and they left." They stared at her silently. "So…they actually had plenty of warning to get away."

"I was wondering why they reacted that way before you started spitting fire," Riven said coming forward with Stella on his heels. "Wish I'd had a camera."

"Me, too," Musa agreed, deciding to accept as given that Bloom hadn't really been trying to kill them. Brandon and Riven seemed less sure of that but said nothing, having no problem with the use of deadly force when called for.

Stella caught Bloom in and enthusiastic hug. "You were great! I loved the looks on their faces!"

"Thanks," Bloom smiled, "but we couldn't have pulled it off without the specialists." She turned to the boys. "Thanks, guys. I'm sure Saladin will be proud."


	7. Grounded

See chapter 1 for disclaimers

CH. 7 Grounded

Saladin was proud. His students had performed marvelously. Saladin, Faragonda, and Griffin heard every detail of what the three witches had tried. None of them were pleased. Arrest warrants were put out and the Trix, as the fairies had started calling them, were expelled from the Cloud Tower School for Witches.

Bloom felt pretty pleased with herself, all things considered. The whole thing reminded her of some of the more successful quests she had been on in VR games, at least those that had ended without someone dying. She was almost tempted to propose a group name, much as they had with the guilds in SAO, but after some thought; she couldn't bring herself to do it. At the very thought of naming their group, she recalled several of the smaller guilds, groups of close friends, who'd gone out questing, certain that their skills and their friendship would see them through any crisis. More than one such group had never returned. Bloom found she couldn't bear it.

Faragonda's response was not as enthusiastic as Saladin's. While she was proud of the way the girls had handled themselves, she still felt that they had needlessly risked their lives. The proper thing to do, she told them, would have been to alert the school and the authorities. Therefore, some punishment was in order. The four girls were restricted to campus for a week, which meant they would miss the upcoming concert in Magix. Stela could go but she declared it wouldn't be any fun without the others.

As they would have the school virtually to themselves, Bloom suggested they have a party and invite the boys over. The whole group approved of the idea and Techna quickly messaged Timmy, a boy she'd met at the dance and been trading texts with since. The specialists readily accepted and agreed to keep silent about it lest one of their teachers get wind of it and inform Griselda. None of them wanted to risk that.

The concert, and thus their party, was still a couple of days away, though. Bloom decided it would be a good time to ask Techna for a favor. She still hadn't been able to make a connection with her AmuSphere.

Bloom had packed it, with the hope of finding a way to use it, despite being in another dimension. She wanted to be able to keep in contact with her friends on Earth other than by email. Always up for a technology related challenge, Techna had readily agreed.

Explaining what the AmuSphere was had taken a little time, but Techna quickly grasped the basics and hooked the device up to her computer to scan it. Bloom had managed to avoid going into the history of the technology and especially any mention of Nervegear. The AmuSphere was, as advertised, much safer than the tech it replaced. It had better security and the designers had assured everyone that there was no way that what had happened with the Nervegear could happen with the AmuSphere, simply by virtue of its design.

"This is really quite ingenious," Techna commented, after spending some time scanning the device and then generating and reviewing a set of schematics and analyzing the AmuSphere's programming. "Primitive by my realm's standards, but still quite remarkable for Earth technology. Nothing like the simulation chamber here, though." Bloom started to ask about that, but Techna's next comment distracted her. "That shouldn't be there."

"What?" Bloom asked.

"There's a program tucked away in here, dormant, but very much not belonging there."

"What sort of program?" Bloom felt a lump of ice form in her gut. Something was wrong with the AmuSphere? Was someone following in Kayaba's footsteps or sabotaging the players in some other way?

"Well, let's find out," Techna said, oblivious to Bloom's sudden change in mood. Musa noticed, though, and came over, looking concerned. "Based on the program type, I believe it's…. Well, let's just run it and see." She glanced at Bloom, who nodded stiffly.

"What's wrong, Bloom?" Musa asked quietly as Techna worked.

"I… it would take too long to explain. There were…problems with an earlier version of the tech. If something's there that shouldn't…" Bloom broke off, as the truth was she didn't know what she would do.

"Got it," Techna called. "Running now." A shimmering light appeared, encompassing a small part of the room and an image appeared. The others stared in confusion, but Bloom's tension immediately evaporated, and she grinned widely.

"Yui!"

The image of the young girl, who had been sleeping, curled in a ball, opened her eyes, unrolled and stretched, yawning hugely, causing Bloom to giggle at the sight. The others just stared in confusion as the holographic projection sat up and smiled. "Hi!"

"What were you doing in my AmuSphere?" Bloom asked, still smiling as she knelt down next to the projection.

"I backed myself up in there when the system administrator did a sweep and purge of unfamiliar programs," Yui explained. "Hope you don't mind."

Bloom shook her head. "Not at all, sweetie."

"Why was an AI hidden in your VR rig?" Techna asked. Musa didn't comment, but looked just as curious.

"But I just said," Yui glanced at her with a slight frown.

"I think she wants more back-story," Bloom chuckled. "It's kind of complicated. You mean when that creepy guy figured out we got into his private hideaway?"

Yui nodded. "How did that work out?" she asked anxiously. "Is daddy safe? Is mommy?"

Bloom nodded, reassuring the child. "They're both fine, but I thought you hid in Kirito-sama's Nervegear?"

"I did, but I made a back-up just in case. You were the only one close enough."

"So…you're a back-up copy?" Bloom felt a bit uncomfortable at the idea, but it was probably a normal thing for a living computer program to do. _The word 'normal' gets a real workout around here._

"That's right. I'll want to pass on my memories with the original me, but then I'll be superfluous."

Superfluous programs, Bloom suspected, got deleted. That didn't sit well with her. "I'll get you back to your daddy," she promised. "Then we'll see."

"Who is her daddy?" Techna asked. "Her designer?"

"No!" Bloom scowled, but forced herself to calm down at her friends' startled reactions. "Sorry. Her designer is someone we don't talk about. Yui's parents adopted her. I don't know the whole story and don't understand all of it that I do."

"Sounds like it could be a good story," Flora said, startling Bloom. She and Stella had come in at some point. "I think some introductions are in order."

Bloom made the introductions quickly while trying to decide how to handle the story. She wasn't ready to talk to them about SAO and might never be ready. "I suppose we should start with the basics of the game where I ran into your dad again," she started. She laid out the basics of Alfheim Online for her friends and told them what the eventual goal of the game was.

They looked intrigued at first, but when Bloom got to the part about the different fairy races they snickered and made fun. Bloom just shrugged. "It was created by a guy who thought fairies were make-believe; a bit of mythology and a lot of imagination."

"Well, I'll give him points for imagination anyway," Musa laughed.

"When I was asked to choose a type, I picked Salamander. Their mastery of fire magic just felt right to me. Not sure why. I didn't find out till later that the group was way too militant for my tastes. They were always picking fights with the other races."

"Doesn't sound like you'd fit in too well," Stella observed.

"I made a few friends," Bloom allowed, "but overall, no. I didn't really like the way the leadership of the Salamanders behaved. I went along on one particular mission, not really liking the goal, but not having much choice. The mission was to destroy a peace conference between two other races, the Sylphs and the Cait Sith. Fortunately, that was when Kirito-sama arrived." She began to tell a carefully edited version of events, leaving out any mention of SAO. If Yui found this odd, she didn't comment.


	8. Story Time

See Chapter 1 for disclaimers

CH. 8 Story Time

She couldn't be sure. The name might be a coincidence, but the sheer brass was almost definitely Kirito. Still, she wasn't sure, not until she saw him fight. General Eugene was good, but not good enough.

When Eugene had been restored, he agreed to back off, but before he could order a retreat, Bloom and two others she had known from before came forward. "It really is you," Todd said. He was a player from San Francisco and while he had not been one of the Knights of the Blood Oath, he had done his fair share of fighting on the front line. "Man, we thought you were finished, must have been one hell of a close call."

"It is good to see you, Kirito-sama," Bloom nodded, slipping automatically back into the persona she'd adopted in SAO to protect herself, her back straight, her expression and tone neutral. At his confused look, they removed their helmets. "I never thought to see you in a VR game again. What brings you here?"

"Yeah, dude," Gosuke, the third Salamander to step forward, agreed. "I know guys who won't even look at a VR rig now. After what happened to Asuna…" he trailed off, dropping his eyes. "Sorry, dude."

"What are all of you carrying on about?" Eugene demanded. "I've called for a withdrawal. Take your places."

"I'm sorry, general," Bloom didn't even look at him. "If Kirito-sama is here, there must be something important brewing."

"Asuna is alive," Kirito told them. He explained about the photograph and the 300 sleepers. "She's at the top of the world tree. I have to get her out."

"Of course," Bloom agreed without a second's hesitation. "She may also provide a clue to what happened to the others that didn't wake up."

"We gotta get them out," Todd agreed.

"Thanks for the support guys," Kirito smiled. "I'll get her out and learn what I can about the rest."

"You are not going alone," Bloom snapped. "Get that idea out of your head, now."

"You're SAO survivors," Eugene realized. "All four of you." He looked at Kirito, "and you. You're the one that beat the game?"

Kirito nodded.

"He saved all our lives, general," Gosuke nodded. "We owe him."

Eugene thought a moment. "I'll grant you three indefinite leave if you wish, to help him, but you're going to need more than four to even attempt getting through the dome."

"Give us 24 hours to spread the word," a Cait Sith, said stepping forward. "When you're ready to try for the world tree, you'll have an army at your back."

The Cait Sith leader turned and stared at him. "What's this about, Shinji?"

"I wasn't in SAO, but my big brother was." He pointed at Kirito. "He's the reason I still have a big brother."

"I'll leave you to it," Eugene nodded in grudging respect to Kirito and took off, leading the rest of the Salamanders away.

Kirito looked a little overwhelmed by the sudden support, but nodded gratefully. "Thanks guys. You don't have to risk yourselves."

"It's not a risk," Todd said. "Dying in this game is just inconvenient. If we can get the others to wake up, then it's the least we can do."

"The Knights of the Blood Oath may be gone," Bloom told him, "but I hold by the oath. We get everyone home safe or we die trying." She was not one for dramatic gestures IRL, but the person she'd become in SAO was a different matter. She'd learned the value of rallying speeches and leading by example. Most who knew her from SAO remembered a cold, driven person; intent on getting out of the game with as many survivors as possible. Despite seeming unemotional, she'd gathered some loyal friends, as there was nothing she wouldn't do to protect them. Time and again she'd risked her life, fighting fiercely to get as many as she could safely out of the game. Trying to switch off her feelings, making herself unapproachable and uncaring, hadn't fooled those she worked closely with, and it hadn't stopped those she'd saved from rallying to her when she was in trouble.

Todd and Gosuke had been her staunchest supporters for all the help she'd given them leveling up, but they weren't the only ones. The Cait Sith she didn't recognize knew this as well. "Just call," he told her. "I think you'll be surprised when you find out how many people will show if Tyger asks them to come."

Bloom repressed a wince. Tyger wasn't the name she had chosen for her avatar. She'd actually used her own name, Bloom being rare enough that most people would think it was just a handle. Tyger was a name she'd earned in game, and she wasn't overly fond of it, given the source.

OOOOOOOOOO

"He was right. When we made our assault on the World Tree, there were more than 60 players from all the different races. Kirito's sister also brought several of her friends along. When the new Sylph Cait Sith alliance showed up, not long after we entered the dome at the base of the World Tree, it made for more than 100, and we had confirmation that Asuna was there. As soon as we entered the central district of Alne, around the base of the tree, Yui picked up on her mother's player ID. She was definitely up in that tree. Kirito went a little nuts when he heard that. He tried to fly straight up the tree, despite the fact that we'd all warned him it couldn't be done. He ran into the barrier the game master had rigged before he got near the lowest branch. But somehow, he did get Asuna's attention. She threw down something she'd managed to acquire while imprisoned there. A key card."

"Where did she get that?" Techna asked.

"Never asked," Bloom admitted. "Came in handy, though."

"Really? Sounds like you had more than enough players to get by nearly any obstacle a game could throw at you," Techna observed as the rest listened raptly to the story.

"Barely," Bloom answered. "You see, no one was ever intended to get through the door at the top of the dome."

OOOOOOOOOO

Bloom, or Tyger as the others persisted in calling her in game, led the charge right beside Kirito, slashing, stabbing, parrying, and dodging. Nothing helped, though. For each guardian they destroyed, three more appeared from the alcoves along the walls. A spell to set her sword ablaze doubled the damage she could deal, but it still wasn't enough.

Tyger was in control. Bloom fully immersed in the persona she'd created to armor herself against the near daily tragedies of Aincrad. Tyger was driven, ruthless, and very nearly unstoppable. The others gave her a wide berth as she resorted to her favorite spell, sending one massive fire ball after another at the guardians, destroying entire groups before charging into the scattered remnants and cutting the survivors to pieces. It only bought them a little space, though.

"How big a fire ball can you make," a voice asked from nearby. Tyger turned to find Sigurd, a shy looking male Sylph, flying nearby.

"Big," she answered. "Perhaps two meters across."

"Aim it straight up, at the door," he instructed. "Clear a space for me and I'll do the rest."

Tyger didn't know what Sigurd had in mind, but the situation was getting desperate. They'd already lost nearly 20 people, and though she knew they'd be fine, it made her fight all the harder. Focusing on her goal, she nearly exhausted her MP sending a massive fireball toward the ceiling and the door hidden there by the massed guardians. It did a lot of damage, clearing a huge space that Sigurd flew into without hesitation. He got as close to the door as he could and began casting a spell that Tyger didn't recognize.

"What is he doing?!" Leafa cried coming up next to her and destroying two guardians approaching Tyger from behind. "That's a self-destruct spell."

"What?"

"It releases all his magic at once, like a bomb. It'll clear a path but it'll kill him, and there are in game consequences more severe than for a normal death."

It was too late to do anything about it. The spell took effect and the resulting explosion took out all the guardians between them and the door at the top of the dome. Tyger seethed inside at the loss, even knowing no real harm had been done to the boy. "Let's not waste it! Go! Go!"

Most of the force rushed into the breach, holding it open while Kirito, Tyger, and Leafa headed for the door. Tyger and Leafa set themselves to protect Kirito and Yui while they worked on the door. She heard every word.

"It won't work, daddy. This door requires administrator privileges to open. No player was ever intended to get through."

"Then how are we supposed to?" Leafa demanded, glancing back at her brother.

"The keycard," Kirito reached into his pocket. "The one Asuna dropped to us." Yui worked with the card. It only took a moment, but that was long enough for the next wave of guardians to break through. Leafa wished him luck and turned to drive them back.

"That's it daddy, everyone take hold. We're going to teleport." Yui, Tyger, and Kirito vanished in a flash of light.

They found themselves in an endless hall of doors. The dimensions were hard to judge, and the place seemed designed to fool the eye. Tyger took point, examining their surroundings while Kirito pulled himself together.

"Yui, what can you tell us about this place?"

"Not much, Tyger. There's no mapping data available." The fact seemed to distress the child, and it probably did. The game had interpreted Yui as a navigation pixie. Up to that point, she had always known where she was in Alfheim and where everything else was in relation to her position. Now, she found herself completely lost.

"Can you find Asuna?" Kirito asked.

"Yes," Yui nodded excitedly, "and she's close."

"Then point the way," Tyger said, sword out, examining their surroundings carefully. "Anything standing in your way won't for long." Following Yui's directions, they quickly found an exit to the branches of the tree. It was only a few minutes run from there to the cage where Asuna was being held. Tyger stood guard, leaving them to their reunion.

It didn't help. None of them saw Oberon coming. The only warning Tyger had was seeing Yui dissolve into a cloud of pixels and dissipate.

OOOOOOOOOO

"He called himself Oberon?" Stella asked, incredulous.

"Yes. His real name is Nobuyuki Sugō. He was the head of the company that ran Alfheim Online. We were both pretty angry when we realized the grand quest of the game was a lie, but that was a minor thing compared to what he was doing. At the top of the world tree was his own private playground. He had Asuna, someone he was obsessed with in the real world, locked in a bird cage, and he had a private laboratory where he was experimenting on the 299 other prisoners while their bodies lay in comas in the real world."

"That's awful!" Musa exclaimed summing up the group's feelings. "Why would he do that?"

"I never did understand the details," Bloom admitted. "Something about reprogramming the human brain." The notion seemed to shock Techna more than the others, perhaps because she better understood the implications.

"It didn't work," Bloom assured them.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Kirito-sama, company's coming, and I can't move."

None of them could. The gravity had increased to the point where they were pinned to the ground, immobile. With supreme effort, she managed to turn her head. She saw a fairy in elaborated robes walk into the cage and casually step over her. This she took to be the guy in charge.

Listening to his arrogant diatribe, and his claims to be able to control the human soul, Tyger grew ever more angry. She tried to use that anger to force herself up and found it working, to a degree. Movement was all but impossible, but she could still use magic. Watching the deluded maniac pin Kirito to the floor with his own sword so he couldn't interrupt while he played with Asuna, only fueled her rage. _He's ignoring me_ , she realized. _He's going to regret that._

To distract him from raping Asuna, she cast a spell she had learned from a Sprigin player to block out all the light in the immediate area. This only annoyed the self-styled fairy king, but it bought Kirito time to free himself. Somehow, she couldn't guess at how, he had acquired an access code with greater privileges than Sugō's. He used it to lock Sugō out of the system and turn off the gravity spell he'd used to pin them all down. Tyger was on her feet in a second, but she wasn't going to interfere at that point. It was personal for Kirito.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I freed Asuna and we just watched as he used a system command to create sword for Sugō so the two could duel properly. Then he used another command to ensure that they could both feel whatever pain the other managed to cause. You could hardly call it a duel, though. Sugō never had a chance. Kirito-sama cut him to pieces."

"He had reason to be angry," Flora admitted. "But isn't that taking it a bit far?"

Bloom bit down on her impulse to say 'I would have made it last longer,' and just shrugged. "Maybe, but Sugō is a real dirtbag and a pervert. He was prepared to rape Asuna while forcing Kirito to watch. It's hard to feel sorry for him. I heard the man was later arrested in the real world."

"Good to know," Musa sighed. "That guy sounds whack."

"Very," Bloom agreed.

"But I gotta ask one thing. Why do you call this Kirito guy, sama?"

"That," Bloom said, trying to put off the story she now realized was inevitable, "is a long story. For another day." She glanced at Techna. "Can you help me get Yui home?"

"I believe I can. Connecting to Earth's internet, by itself, wouldn't be a challenge. This virtual technology, however, adds a few fascinating complications. I'll need a little time, but I can make it work." She glanced at Yui. "My own system has plenty of capacity, if you want to explore a bit."

"Thank you," Yui said politely. "I'd like that."

"I'd love to be able to show you around Alfea," Bloom told the AI, "but I doubt that's possible at the moment." She thought a moment. "Last I heard, Kirito-sama was working on a project for one of his classes. Some kind of camera rig that would channel images through a VR environment. He said when it was ready it would have all sorts of applications, but I'm pretty sure he was just doing it for Yui, so he could show her the real world."

"That's sweet," Flora smiled.

"I could probably rig something like that," Techna mused, "but one thing at a time."


	9. Not Quite As Planned

See chapter 1 for disclaimers

CH. 9 Not Quite As Planned

The night of the concert, all of the faculty and most of the students cleared out, leaving the girls to summon the specialists for the party they'd planned. Half an hour after the others had gone, five levi-bikes pulled up to their dorm.

Brandon had won the impromptu race to Alfea and was grinning broadly as he greeted Bloom. She smiled back and took his hand to lead him inside. Yui was still with them, as Techna had gotten busy with class projects and hadn't finished with the AmuSphere. She had managed, however, to grant the AI a little more freedom.

Yui had been exploring the magical 'net and creating some unintentional confusion. The Headmistress had been given a brief explanation of Yui's nature and situation after the school's computer system identified her as a potential threat it could not deal with. Yui had apologized for the trouble, and Faragonda had seemed to find the incident amusing. Griselda did not, but she swallowed her objections and settled for urging Techna to get their odd guest home as soon as she could.

The boys were surprised to find a hologram of a young girl playing in their prospective girlfriends' apartment. Bloom made the introductions and offered a brief explanation of Yui's nature.

"It's nice to meet you all," Yui offered a formal bow. "Tyger has told me of your bravery."

"Tyger?" Timmy asked curiously, adjusting his glasses.

"She means Bloom," Musa explained. "Long story, apparently. She still hasn't told us."

"Please don't call me that, Yui," Bloom winced at the curious looks the boys gave her.

"Why?" she asked curiously. "It suits you. I know you don't like to think of the source, but that doesn't change the fact you've earned it. We wouldn't have gotten in to Sugō's hideaway if not for you. Everyone saw the way you fought. I don't think the name Tyger is going away anytime soon."

Bloom sighed, though in dejection or irritation the others couldn't tell. "Great."

"Sounds like quite a story," Prince Sky grinned. "Who's this Sugō dude?"

Reluctantly, Bloom told the story again, for the boys, with Yui adding enthusiastic commentary on her technique and the ferocity she'd displayed. Sugō, Bloom finished, had been arrested the next day. He had denied everything at first, but he caved after a while and admitted the entire scheme. "Detailed news from Japan isn't that easy to get in Gardenia, but from what I understand, he's going to be in prison a long time. Kidnapping is a serious crime, and he had 300 victims."

"Good," Sky snorted. "What a creep."

"Let me get this straight," Riven said slowly. "You learned to use a sword and to cast that fire spell…in a video game?"

Bloom shrugged. "I was as surprised as anyone when the combat skills carried over. Some weird effect of my magic, I think. The spells, though… They never work quite right. I mostly stick to what we learn here, but… at the time… that one just seemed right," she finished with a grin.

"You really are a different person when you're fighting," Musa shook her head. "You know that, right?"

Bloom frowned at the idea, the notion making her somewhat uncomfortable, but she couldn't deny it. "I suppose," she sighed.

"Well both of you are kinda cool," Brandon joked.

"Also kinda creepy," Riven offered, earning himself several glares and a swat to the back of the head from Stella. "You guys have no sense of humor."

Stella swatted him again. "I thought that was funny," she offered to general laughter.

"As long as no one here starts calling me Tyger, I'll be happy," Bloom said, rolling her eyes.

"Suits me," Stella assured her. "Tyger is kind of scary." When she saw the look on Bloom's face, she instantly regretted her words. "That's not a bad thing, Bloom," she assured her, giving her friend a quick hug. "Especially, if it keeps those witches away. Now," she glanced around the room. "Great story, but I thought we came here to party!"

Musa took charge of the stereo system and soon had everyone dancing. Bloom managed to put her mood aside while dancing with Brandon and watching Sky sweep Stella off her feet proved an amusing distraction.

Naturally, it didn't last long. They'd only been enjoying themselves about half an hour when a crash sounded from somewhere in the school. Musa turned off the music, and they stopped and listened. It didn't take long for another crash to sound.

"We'd better check it out," Bloom sighed, a bit irritated that her dance with Brandon had been interrupted. The group agreed and left the apartment to search for the source of the noise. It didn't take long before another crash told them which way to go. Carefully following the increasingly disturbing sounds, they soon found the source.

"What the hell is a minotaur doing wandering around Alfea?" Bloom wanted to know as they looked down at the scene in the hall below from the top of a staircase.

"No idea, and I doubt it'll be telling us," Sky answered. "Those things are basically mindless. Someone must have set it loose here."

"Three guesses who," Musa snorted. "Question is, why?"

"Do they need a reason?" Flora asked. "They're mean."

"This could be revenge," Bloom though aloud.

"Or it could be a distraction," Techna offered. "Maybe they think the Dragon's Fire is here somewhere."

"Can we figure it out later?" Stella complained. "It's trashing the school."

The others nodded. "Leave this to us, ladies," Riven said confidently. He and the others rushed down the stairs and spread out, trying to surround the beast.

"Arrogant-" Bloom shook her head. "Transform, and be ready to back them up. For now, watch the Minotaur. Learn its patterns." It might not be programmed, Bloom thought, but it was just a dumb animal. That should make it somewhat predictable.

"Patterns?" Techna asked.

"It's an animal. It'll probably react in only a limited number of ways."

The others looked dubious, but watched for the opportunity to pitch in. The boys, however, were doing well. None of them, despite Riven's bravado, was foolish enough to try matching it in a direct contest of strength. They relied on agility, speed, and techniques that used the beast's own strength against it. The thing was becoming enraged, and the angrier it got, the more determined it got. The tactics, however, didn't change much. It was always some variation on roar and charge.

The angrier it got, however, the less predictable it became, and unlike a computer generated monster, it was capable of learning from its mistakes. With a sudden lunge in an unexpected direction, it got a grip on Timmy and threw him into Riven.

"Time to go," Musa decided, rushing forward to help her crush. She threw a spell that caused the beast to clap its hands over its ears, roaring in pain. That effectively distracted it from stomping on the two stunned specialists.

Techna, right on Musa's heels, cast a spell Bloom heard her call digital web, in order to restrain the creature. It held long enough for Timmy and Riven to get to their feet and attack again, aiming to take the Minotaur's legs out from under it.

This proved harder than anticipated as it easily broke the lines they used to try to trip it. Bloom discerned the plan, though and hit it with a bolt that was as much raw force as it was fire, staggering the creature.

"Hit it from all sides," she called. "Don't let up." They began a series of strike and fade attacks that infuriated the Minotaur. Bloom called the shots, hammering at the creature and holding its attention till the next attacker was ready. At her call, one of the others would attack and keep it off balance till someone else was in position. It seemed to be wearing the beast down, until Techna got too close and was caught a heavy blow that sent her to the ground. This distracted Timmy who got sloppy and was knocked out next. The fairies and specialists began to fall like dominoes.

Each downed friend made Bloom angrier even as she fought to maintain her calm so she could fight effectively. That faded fast, however, when Stella was grabbed and thrown against the wall, downing Brandon in the process. Bloom felt her control snap and the magic flow from her as if a dam had burst. Magical fire engulfed the Minotaur and drove it into the wall hard enough to crack the stone. The others drew back, staring in shock at the display of power. None of them noticed the three witches watching from a cross-corridor.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I don't believe it," Icy whispered, staring at the magical crystal she had conjured to detect and ultimately absorb the Dragon's Fire. "She does have the Dragon's Fire."

"That complicates things," Darcy scowled, remembering how badly their last attempt to acquire the Dragon's Fire had gone. "She's not going to be easy pickings."

"We'll just have to plan carefully," Icy told them and motioned for the three to withdraw.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Wow, Bloom! Where did that come from?" Stella sat up, rubbing her head.

"Yeah," Brandon agreed, examining what was left of the Minotaur. "You've got an insane amount of power."

Bloom just shrugged, a little rattled by what had happened. She had no idea where that burst of power had come from. "No idea. I just got really angry seeing you all hurt." She looked around. "Better question. How are we going to explain this to Miss Faragonda?"

"I'll be interested to know that myself," a voice from behind her said. They turned to see Griselda watching the group with one of her patented glares. The group traded nervous glances. "Well?"

"We think those three witches that have been giving us trouble set the Minotaur loose in the school as some kind of revenge," Bloom hazarded. "Or possibly as a distraction while they did something else."

"Such as?' Griselda asked, looking thoughtful.

"No way to know without finding them," Bloom shrugged.

"And what, precisely, are the specialists doing here?"

"We, ah, needed help with the Minotaur?" Bloom offered.

"Then it's a good thing they were here for the party you threw in your dorm, wasn't it?" The looks on their faces confirmed that for Griselda. She shook her head in exasperation. "You boys get back to Red Fountain. You girls are restricted to campus for an extra week. No visitors," she added, glancing significantly at the boys.

"Yes, Griselda," they chorused, knowing they were getting off light.


	10. Day of the Rose

See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 10 Day of the Rose

The only good thing about being grounded was that it gave them ample time to study for the midterms coming up. The restriction was lifted just in time for a Magix holiday called The Day of the Rose. Having been unaware it was coming, she missed the chance to go home for a visit, but there was plenty to do in the city with Stella, who had not gone home. It seemed her parents were in the middle of a nasty divorce and she didn't want to get caught in the middle.

Musa hadn't gone home either, but she chose to stay on campus. Her mother, Bloom learned, had died years ago and the Day of the Rose was always bittersweet for the music loving fairy. So Bloom and Stella headed out alone to the street fair being held that day.

They met Brandon, Riven, and Sky as the boys prepared for the levibike race. Riven's confidence, as Bloom had come to expect, crossed the line into arrogance.

"I'm not here to compete. I'm here to win. These guys don't have a chance."

"Big talk," Sky mocked. He glanced at Bloom. "Riven doesn't think we're gonna be any competition for him."

"Please," Riven snorted. "Last time, Sky fell off his bike in the first lap."

"That sounds dangerous," Stella fretted, turning to Sky.

"Nah, levibikes are totally safe."

"We wear state-of-the-art padding," Brandon assured the two girls. "See?" He pointed to the course where a levibike had just crashed. The rider got up, apparently none the worse for wear, and made his way off the course with his damaged bike.

"You have to dance with me tonight," Stella informed Sky, "so don't break any limbs."

"I'll be cheering for you, Brandon," Bloom told her boyfriend.

"So whose cheering for you, Riven?" Sky teased. "Stella's cheering for me, Bloom's cheering for Brandon. Where's your cheerleader?"

"I don't need one, dude. Unlike you," he answered shortly.

"Take it easy, Riven," Brandon tried to calm him down.

"If I actually wanted one of these Alfea pixies, I could have my pick of the whole litter, and both of you know it." He gave an unpleasant smile. "In fact, there's a certain someone whose been giving me the eye." He turned to Bloom. "Isn't that right, Bloom?"

"You're an idiot, Riven," Bloom sighed, "and delusional to boot." The others laughed.

"You're cute when you play hard to get," he grinned stepping forward and touching her chin lightly. Brandon immediately stiffened and prepared to move in, but Bloom just smiled.

"Riven, aren't you going to find it hard to steer your bike," her tone grew chilly, "with only one arm?" Riven pulled his hand away quickly as Bloom's skin began to heat up. "I know what I like, and I don't go for the whole jerk thing. You are an arrogant, conceited, waste of oxygen." With a wave of her finger, she summoned pot of water. "Maybe you should just cool off." The pot upended itself over Riven's head.

"You're going to pay for that," he fumed, storming off, despite the others attempts to calm him.

"What is that guy's problem?" Stella asked of no one in particular.

"Give him some time," Sky advised. "He'll calm down… eventually."

As there was little they could do about Riven's temper, Bloom agreed and followed the others. She still felt bad about what she had said to Riven. _Went too far, way too far_. Yeah, he was being a jerk, but I could have just teased him without humiliating him. She resolved to find him and make amends, when the race was over.

While the others were headed for the race track and the best seats they could find, Bloom found herself distracted by a group of street performers. One of whom bore an uncanny resemblance to the person she'd been seeing in her dreams. The dance was mesmerizing and the dancer's resemblance to her nocturnal visitor uncanny. Bloom tore her eyes away to look around at the crowd. Clearly the dancer was portraying someone, and she had to know who. Her eyes fell on the façade of the building they were standing before. City hall. Up on the façade of the building were nine carved figures. She instantly recognized the one in the middle.

She was distracted from her contemplation by a hand on her shoulder. "Hi, Bloom."

She turned to find Timmy smiling at her. "Hi, Timmy," she offered, refocusing on her friend.

"Everyone's looking for you, Bloom. You just wandered off."

"Sorry," Bloom shrugged. "I got distracted."

"Yeah, I heard about your fight with Stiven."

"Who?"

"Oh, um, I mean Riven. Sorry." He seemed rather distracted himself, and Bloom shrugged it off. "You know how proud he is," Timmy pressed on.

"Yeah. I guess I overreacted."

"Maybe a bit," he smiled. "Maybe you can make it up to him." He pulled out a small package. "I got this for myself, but you could give it to Riven. It's a state-of-the-art levibike helmet. It's specially designed to interface with the bike, makes you feel like it's part of you."

"You got it for yourself…"

"It's okay. More important to help two of my friends patch things up. Just tell him you got it in a little gadget shop in town."

"Well…okay. Thanks, Timmy."

"No problem. Enjoy the race."

"You're not going?"

"I'll be along. I have something to do first. See you around." He headed off and Bloom headed for the track, running into Stella on the way.

They rushed to the track to watch the race. Bloom scanned the crowd and spotted Riven after a moment. Knowing he wouldn't respond well, she braced for his reaction and approached him. "Riven?"

He barely glanced at her, his tone as cold and angry when he spoke. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize. I overreacted badly." She held out the helmet. "I got you this. It's a helmet, latest model I'm told-"

"Fine." He cut her off and grabbed it out of her hands. "I've got a race to win."

Bloom turned and left. For Riven, that was almost polite. She rejoined Stella to watch the race, finding a good vantage point. Bloom didn't mention Timmy to Stella, only saying that she had tried to make peace with Riven. As they waited for the race to begin, Sky joined them, saying glumly that he had had trouble with his bike.

"Hey, Bloom," he glanced over, giving Stella a one-armed hug. "You try to make up with Riven?"

"For all the good it did," Bloom shrugged. "He wasn't very receptive, but he did accept the present I gave him."

"That helmet he's wearing? Looks cool. Where'd you get that?"

"You'd have to ask Timmy." Bloom shrugged. "He's the one who gave it to me and suggest I give it to Riven."

Sky frowned in confusion. "Timmy? He went home for the Day of the Rose. He's not even in Magix right now."

"Are you sure?" Bloom frowned in confusion. Sky nodded. "Then who was I talking to?" One possibility occurred to her almost immediately and she looked around. They would want a good vantage point to observe their handiwork, she guessed. An obvious answer occurred to her and she looked up. "There."

Sky and Stella followed her pointing finger and saw four figures on a roof high over the race course. Three were slender while the fourth was large and bulky. Clearly, Knut.

"What do we do?" Sky asked, looking toward the racetrack where the racers were already speeding around the track.

"Stella, can you get to Riven and warn him? I'm going after the witches." With that, she transformed and took to the air, rising rapidly toward the figures on the roof. Hopefully, whatever they had planned could be curtailed before anyone got hurt. And if that meant hurting the Trix, she decided that she was fine with that.

She rose above the roof of the building and looked down at the four people there. "Stormy, Darcy, Icy, and…Timmy. You've put on a few pounds."

"Hey!" Knut protested, as Icy snorted.

"So, you figured it out," Icy smirked. "Won't help. All I have to do is snap my fingers and Riven's marvelous new helmet becomes a blindfold he can't remove. Should be an epic crash. Guess who he'll blame?"

Bloom, thinking quickly, recalled something she'd come across online. While it wasn't a philosophy she agreed with or even understood, she thought the witches might buy it. "Are you familiar with the phrase 'escalation of force?'"

"Huh?" Icy asked, pausing with fingers poised.

"It's a simple concept. Works something like this: You punch me? I stab you. You stab me? I set your sisters on fire." Darcy and Stormy cringed visibly. "You threaten one of my friends? I mangle your faces till you're as ugly outside as in. You actually kill one of my friends? I wipe your home town off the map. See? Simple."

Icy lowered her hand, her expression unreadable, but she sounded intrigued. "I'm almost impressed. Where'd a pixie come by such a witchtastic way of thinking?"

"A place darker than you've ever been," Bloom answered the witch honestly, her tone cold, her expression deadly serious. "Call it a day ladies, and I'll call this a warning." To add emphasis to her words, she drew Brandon's gift and activated it. With a few muttered words, the blade seemed to catch fire.

"You think you could take all three of us?" Darcy asked, full of bluster. She was not as sure of herself as she wanted Bloom to believe, and it must have showed, judging by the dismissive glance Bloom sent her way. She also saw Knut out of the corner of her eye. The fearsome ogre was shaking like a leaf.

"I'm sure I could finish at least one of you before the others managed to take me down," Bloom answered. "So," she asked sweetly, "which of you will selflessly sacrifice yourself for the others?"

The three traded uncomfortable looks. Then Icy's confidence, which had wavered for a moment, returned, and she laughed. "You've got guts, pixie. I'll give you that." She offered a mock bow. "I'll give you the day. Consider it a reward for a very entertaining performance." She took a step back. "Ladies?' The other two nodded and all three vanished along with Knut.

Bloom continued to float in the air, holding the position she had taken in order to force the witches to look up to her. Then, when she felt certain they had actually gone, she settled to the roof and let out a long breath. "Wow," she muttered. "Can't believe that worked."

She took a moment to put Tyger back in her cage; then, Bloom flew back down and rejoined Stella at the finish line where Riven was receiving the first place trophy. She looked at her friend questioningly.

"Nothing happened," Stella shrugged, "which is good, because I couldn't catch him."

"No one could," Riven boasted. "Why were you on the track, anyway?"

"The witches were here," Bloom explained. "They were going to do something to that helmet. Icy said something about turning it into a blindfold. I was able to convince them not to."

"How'd you do that?" Brandon asked.

Bloom frowned and gave herself a hug as if chilled. "You…don't want to know."


	11. Magical Reality and Illusion

See Chapter 1 for disclaimers

CH. 11 Magical Reality and Illusion

"Really, my dears," Stella's voice was saying. "That look has been out for two seasons. Heels with that outfit?" Bloom sighed in aggravation, as she rounded the corner of the building housing, finding exactly what she knew she would find. The fairy of the sun and the moon was examining the outfits of two seniors with a critical eye. That never ended well. Stella's fashion advice was never terribly subtle, and it inevitably antagonized the person she was trying to help. Moving to intervene, Bloom managed to catch the attention of her friend before she could push the senor fairies too far.

"Stella," Bloom called, diverting the attention of the irate seniors her oblivious friend was addressing. "We've talked about this. If they want fashion advice, they'll ask for it… or beat it out of you," she added quietly, causing one of the seniors to snicker and the other to look thoughtful as Bloom walked by them. "Come on. We've got midterms to study for."

"But look at them!" Stella began, but Bloom cut her off.

"Enough, Stella. Let them alone before one of them spells you…again." She led the sullen looking fairy away, waving apologetically to the seniors over her shoulder. The two girls Stella had been critiquing glared after her for a moment, then shrugged and went on their way.

Bloom relaxed when she saw this. There was enough to deal with without having to undo some vicious prank on her friend. Aside from upcoming midterms, the weird dreams continued. A glowing woman spoke to her every night, urging her to begin some kind of journey, but being frustratingly vague about who she was and what she actually wanted.

Miss Faragonda had looked thoughtful about it when Bloom had approached her and asked, but had no ideas or advice to offer. Bloom had been headed for the library when she had stopped to rescue Stella the fashion diva. Extracting a promise to return to their rooms and study, she sent the blond fairy on her way. Bloom then resumed her trek to the library.

In many respects, Alfea's library was just like any other, with thousands of tomes. Given Alfea's nature, it was no surprise that the focus was on magic. There were books on virtually every kind of magic there was. What seemed to be lacking, however, was any obvious means to locate specific books. Nothing resembling a card catalog or a computer terminal was in sight.

She found the librarian, and asked about books on the history of Magix, reasoning that that would be fairly innocuous and she could narrow it down once she found the right section. Without even looking up, the woman waved her toward the magical card catalog. It proved to be a podium that responded to voice commands. Given its nature, Bloom wondered why they called it a card catalog, but dismissed that as unimportant. She positioned herself in front of the podium and said, "town hall." The first book to respond was of no help, so she asked for information about the town hall façade. That got a more useful response and after a few moments of searching, she had an answer. "Daphne."

A book landed in front of her. She blinked in surprise as she took in the title. "This is a book about the great dragon and-" she had to duck as another came flying in, followed by another and another. Soon, she was surrounded by books circling her and demanding her attention. She had to duck repeatedly to avoid being struck by the flying tomes.

Raising a hand and concentrating, she called out. "Arresto Momentum!"

The books froze in midair, shuddered for a moment as if resisting her will and fell to the ground, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. The librarian rushed over, followed closely by Miss Faragonda. Bloom nodded to them. "Sorry about the mess," she offered sheepishly. "I was talking to myself, and the catalog started yanking books off the shelves at random and tossing them at me." She spotted the book on the Great Dragon and scooped it up. "This is the one I was after." She then spotted one on the last witch coven and grabbed that as well. "I'll help clean up."

"That's alright, Bloom," the librarian hastened to forestall her. "I'll take care of it. It would take longer to show you where everything goes."

"Are you alright, Bloom?" Faragonda asked curiously, eyeing the books she was cradling against her chest. Bloom carefully kept the titles hidden. She was almost certain that the one on the Witch coven had slipped between the bars of the restricted section.

"I'm fine. I just need to be more careful around magical objects that take spoken instructions."

Faragonda allowed a slight smile and nodded before moving on. Bloom found a quiet corner where she couldn't be easily observed and started reading.

OOOOOOOOOO

Brandon managed to visit her the day before her first midterm. Stella had been a bit indignant over the short notice, but Bloom hadn't cared. She just wanted to spend time with him, even if it was just for a walk around the grounds. Given what she'd learned in those two books and three others they referred to, she needed a bit of a distraction and someone to talk to. The handsome blond squire fit her needs perfectly.

"I must admit I'm enjoying school more this year," he told her as they strolled through Alfea's park like campus. The sky was cloudless, but a light breeze kept it from feeling too warm.

"Oh?" Bloom steered him toward a path that led around the dormitories, knowing there wouldn't be too many people there.

"Better people around."

She smiled happily at that. "I'm enjoying everything about Alfea," she said, "and Magix in general," she frowned. "Well, not the witches."

"They do tend to ruin things," he nodded. "Or at least they try to. Seems like every time we get together, something happens."

"Our dates are never dull," she agreed with a nod, getting a laugh out of the young man. "I could use a little calm for a change, especially with the midterms coming up."

"Those are never fun," Brandon agreed with a grimace. "What's up first?"

"Professor Palladium and the magical reality chamber."

"Really?" He gave her a teasing glance. "Hear about the girl who disappeared in there?"

"Pretty sure that's a myth," she told him, rolling her eyes. "I'm not too worried. I'm as ready as I can be."

"Good luck." He gestured to a comfortable looking bench under the spreading branches of an old oak. They settled down to rest for a time.

The conversation drifted on to other topics. Bloom told him of her continuing dreams of the mysterious voice and how she had caught glimpses of an ethereal woman. She still didn't know what to make of it all. Was this woman a friend or an enemy? What was her ultimate goal? What was her immediate goal? Could it really be Daphne trying to communicate with her? If so, why? Brandon listened carefully to her musings and suspicions without interruption, thinking that he could see aspects of Tyger beginning to surface as she considered the possibility that whoever this was might be an enemy trying to manipulate her.

"Whatever happens, Bloom," he told her without hesitation, "I'll be right there to help you through it."

"Thanks, Brandon." Impulsively, she hugged him. He returned it happily. "I guess I'd better call it a night," she said regretfully, noting that the sun had almost dropped below the horizon. "I'll double check my preparations for tomorrow and get a good night's sleep."

"A sound plan," Brandon nodded. "See you soon?"

"Count on it," she promised. With that, they parted ways. She frowned slightly as she made her way back to her room. Bloom hadn't told Brandon, or anyone for that matter, that the idea of the magical reality chamber made her a bit nervous.

She still hadn't told anyone about Aincrad. She still didn't want to.

OOOOOOOOOO

"No need to be nervous, sweetie," Flora said quietly as they sat together on the benches surrounding the screen that

would display what was happening in the chamber, and waited for Palladium to start the testing. "After all, you've been spending an hour or two a day using VR for the past week since Techna got it working."

"Yeah," Bloom admitted, "but I know how that works." She had been diving, and taking Yui with her, but the little girl hadn't yet encountered her father. The time zones were quite different, and while Yui could have hung out anywhere in Alfheim, she preferred to stick with Bloom and see more of the Magical dimension. She wanted to have some really interesting memories to share when she passed her files to the original Yui. Techna was fascinated by the tech, even though it was somewhat primitive by her standards. It was simply an application of the technology she had never considered. She had wanted to build a compatible system for herself and accompany Bloom on one of her trips, but hadn't found the time yet.

"The magical reality chamber is not, virtual reality," Professor Palladium chose that moment to speak up, noting that the girls' conversation had given him an excellent opening. "The environment may be virtual, but the reality is not. If you get hurt in there it will be real."

"Not so different, then," Bloom muttered to herself, earning a puzzled look from Flora.

"Do I have a volunteer?" No one spoke up. "All right then. We'll just go in alphabetical order." Palladium informed them. "Bloom, you're up first. Have you decided which of the options you'll take?"

Steeling herself, Bloom nodded. "I'll try to restore a dead world," she said. "I've packed some basic potions that should help with that. Will I be able to take them in?"

"Of course," he nodded. He cautioned her again about the nature of the chamber and sent her in. Sella and the others all offered their advice and encouragement. "Remember, I won't be able to talk to you after the test begins. If you really get into trouble, I can cancel the program with the emergency button."

"Can I press it now?" Stella asked to the class' general amusement.

Palladium ignored the question and showed Bloom into the chamber. "No need to be nervous, just keep your wits about you." He left her to enter the chamber and await the start of the program as he took his place at the controls.

OOOOOOOOOO

Icy, Darcy, and Stormy watched events unfold in their improvised scrying pool. Their current base of operations was quite a sizeable step down from Cloud Tower, but all three knew that once they had the Dragon's Fire, they'd each be able to have a palace of their own, several in fact. Till then, the cave was well hidden and warded against magical detection.

"We're ready," Icy grinned, watching Bloom enter the chamber. The little surprise Darcy had planted in the chamber's systems should buy them enough time alone with the fairy to achieve their ends. "All we have to do is get her mad enough to use the Dragon's Fire and the crystals will absorb it. We'll become all powerful."

"First stop after that," Darcy grinned, "Cloud Tower, so we can pay Griffin back for expelling us." The others nodded their agreement. "Looks like its ready. Never fought by remote control before," she muttered, examining the wax likeness of herself.

"It's the easiest way in," Icy shrugged, "and it keeps us out of her reach." There was no need for the others to voice their agreement. They knew that was a good strategy.

OOOOOOOOOO

The scene formed around her, and the temperature dropped dramatically. "Brrr. I'm gonna need shelter and food," she mused looking about. Whichever world had been selected was certainly desolate. There was no sign of plant or animal life in the area, and stretching her senses as Palladium had taught them showed that there was no life beyond the microscopic within miles of her. "This is going to be a challenge."

Setting her bag on the ground, she began to take out her potions kit, only to draw back in surprise as Kiko clambered out. "I don't think bunnies are allowed in this test," she smiled fondly at her pet. "Oh, well. Nothing to do about it now. I'm going to plant and eco-totalis tree. That'll give us food and some shelter."

She grabbed the necessary items and ingredients and started the process of establishing a new ecosystem. Before the first tree could even sprout, though, three shadows fell over her. She spun around and jumped to her feet. "What are you doing here?"

"Everyone else is taking midterms," Stormy mocked. "But for you, it's a final exam." They began attacking without further comment, none of them holding back. Bloom snatched up Kiko and retreated to a spot where he was relatively safe while muttering a protection spell she had learned the other day. Then she charged the witches, trying to drive them as far from the rabbit's hiding place as she could.

OOOOOOOOOO

In the control room, Palladium and the other students could only stare. As soon as the intruders had appeared, Palladium had tried to end the test. The emergency button had done nothing. He tried to set the process in motion manually, moving through it step by step, but he had no luck with that either. None of the controls were responding. "We've been sabotaged," he realized.

OOOOOOOOOO

Bloom sent a blast of energy to scatter the witches and flew past them before turning and directing another attack at their backs. The trio had turned and scattered, though, and came at her from three different sides. Bloom conjured a shield to defend herself and neatly slipped out of the noose they were trying to close around her. She'd seen and used _that_ tactic in Alfheim. The witches were clumsy about it.

There were still three of them and just one of her, though. And there was nothing clumsy about the way they used their magic. A spell from Darcy set her head spinning, light and shadow spinning around her, disorienting her till she manage to dispel the affect with a pulse of her own magic. By that time, though, she was encased in ice up to her hips and falling out of the air.

The impact knocked the wind out of her, but the witches didn't take advantage. They just circled her, mocking her helplessness. Even as Bloom freed herself with a burst of heat from her hands, she puzzled over this. What did the three actually want if they weren't there to finish her? It occurred to her that they might simply be too stupid to follow up on their advantage, but didn't think that was the case. _So, what do they want?_

Their spells had done more damage to the landscape than to her. The cold that had pervaded the scene when she first arrived was gone, pushed back by the heat radiating from the fissures they'd created. Bloom could see rivers of lava at the bottoms of some of them. Shattered boulders and the remains of small hills dotted the barren landscape with debris. The attacks that had done the damage would have killed her, but the witches seemed almost more interested in intimidating her. She still didn't know what they wanted and decided that all she could do was what she'd been doing. Keep them busy until the chamber could be shut down and help could arrive.

Temporarily blinded them with a bright flash of light, she darted away, being careful to avoid Kiko's hiding place. She taunted them to keep their attention on her. "You're boring me ladies. Is that the best you can do?"

It worked at first, they redoubled their efforts, but soon, they seemed to realize they weren't going to get what they wanted. The three pulled back and conferred quietly, allowing Bloom to catch her breath.

OOOOOOOOOO

In the control room, Palladium and the other students watched in frustration. Nothing tried so far had ended the program, and the professor doubted it would do anything to stop the Trix. As far as he could tell, they were projecting their images and powers from somewhere else. He could think of several ways this could be done, but the matter was academic under the circumstances.

He continued working on a complete shutdown of the chamber, cutting all power and forcibly negating the magic in use. Doing so would cause catastrophic damage, which was why there were safeguards in place that were taking time to circumvent, but once the chamber was shut down, they would be able to assist Bloom directly. At the moment, the safeguards prevented anyone else from entering the chamber. He tried to focus his attention on the task before him, but he still snuck peeks at the fight going on. Bloom was fighting like an experienced warrior, and Palladium had to wonder where those skills and those reflexes came from.

"Oh no!"

The professor glanced up at Flora's horrified cry and looked into the chamber. "Poor Kiko," Stella breathed. Palladium found Bloom kneeling at the edge of a crevasse, staring down at a river of lava while the witches hovered above her laughing and making jokes about 'bunny burgers.'

Musa shook her head. "Poor witches," she corrected.

"Huh?" Stella asked, and Palladium glanced at the two students in confusion. Then the blond fairy's eyes opened wide in realization as she stared into the chamber. "Oh, crap. Tyger."

Having no idea what that meant, he turned back to his work, disabling another safeguard, which only left a dozen or so to go. Palladium looked into the chamber in time to see Bloom glaring up at the witches, her face a mask of cold fury unlike anything he'd seen on her before. Thanks to the chamber's magically enhanced acoustics, the redheaded Earth fairy's words carried perfectly.

"You're not going to live to regret that." There was a blinding burst of flames and Bloom moved. She seemed to vanish from where she'd been kneeling. "I warned you!"

The voice came from behind Darcy and Stormy. They turned with startled exclamations to face her. Icy said nothing. She was already falling toward the ground in two pieces.

Every jaw in the control room dropped. Bloom was hovering slightly above the two remaining witches, a sword that seemed to be made of fire in her right hand. No one in the chamber or the control room noticed Icy's body dissolve into smoke.

"You're going to pay for that!" Stormy shouted, forcing down her shock at the sudden reversal and casting a spell that sent a powerful and rapidly growing tornado at Bloom. The red-headed fairy didn't even try to get out of the twister's path, and for a moment, the witches grinned triumphantly as it engulfed her. Then the funnel cloud began to glow red, as if the air itself had caught fire. Suddenly, it moved back toward Stormy with alarming speed.

"Look out!" Darcy shouted, throwing herself out of the path of the oncoming storm.

Stormy could only gape in disbelief as she tried to back away. "Wha-? She hijacked my spell! How did sheeeeaAARRGH!"

The whirlwind slowed and dissipated, leaving Bloom hovering in midair, not a hair out of place. Of Stormy, there was no sign. Bloom focused on Darcy. "Next!"

"Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!" Darcy almost chanted as she backed away rapidly, throwing spells designed to confuse and disorient. Bloom barely seemed to notice, burning through each illusion, but getting no closer to the illusionist. Finally, out of patience, Bloom made a gesture that filled the room with fire. Darcy screamed in pain, and her form dissolved.

OOOOOOOOOO

Bloom landed and sank to her knees, her wings vanishing. She sobbed disconsolately, but her head came up when she heard a familiar sound. Kiko was sitting a few feet to her left. She rushed to him, only to have her hand pass through his body. "Huh?" Looking around, she saw more than a dozen identical rabbits dotting the ruined landscape. "What?" She could still hear the snoring, she realized, and it wasn't coming from any of the Kikos she could see. Following the sound to its source, she peered behind an outcropping and smiled in delighted relief at the sight of the real Kiko taking a nap. She scooped him up and was still happily cuddling him when the devastated landscape vanished, replaced by the bare chamber.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Nothing!" Stormy raged. "All that work for nothing." She raised her bandaged hand. The wax figure of herself that she'd been using for the projection had melted, burning her. She had no reason to complain more than the others, though. Icy's midriff was still tender. It was only a phantom pain, the ice manipulator knew, but being sliced in half, even second-hand, still hurt. Darcy also sported a bandage on her hand, courtesy of the melted wax, and while Stormy wasn't sure, given the dim light of their current hideout, the other witch seemed to have acquired a slight sunburn.

"We'll have to take a different approach," Icy growled. "We need to weaken her, and I think I know how."


	12. Reunions

See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 12 Reunions

"So they weren't real?" Bloom asked, unsure as to how to feel about that, even though she'd already suspected it. She'd been called into the headmistress' office almost immediately after being let out of the magical reality chamber.

"No," Faragonda shook her head. "We believe that they were projecting their power and their images from elsewhere."

Bloom nodded thoughtfully. "I guess that makes sense. I didn't see how they could have gotten into the chamber."

The headmistress eyed her carefully; concerned over Bloom's tone and reaction to the news that she hadn't actually killed the three witches. "Are you relieved or disappointed?" She asked carefully.

"Can I be both?" Bloom asked after seriously considering the question for a few moments.

Faragonda, glad she was seated behind her desk for this conversation, stared at her, taken aback by the girl's answer and attitude. "This isn't a joking matter, Bloom." She didn't understand the girl at all. The witches were a serious problem, it was true, but killing them wasn't an acceptable solution, at least not to her way of thinking. The three witches were, after all, still only teenagers with so much to learn. Faragonda still held out some hope that they could be reformed. That hope would vanish if the enigma of a girl before her was to kill them, and she shuddered to think of the effect of such an action on Bloom herself.

"I wasn't joking," Bloom answered seriously. "I don't really want them dead, but since they aren't, they'll be coming back to cause us more trouble. I don't want to kill them or anyone else, but holding back, trying to be nice, when your enemy wants you dead and is trying their hardest to make it happen is stupid. How long will it be before they kill someone, assuming they haven't already? That'll be on me if I could have stopped them and didn't."

"It would not be 'on you,' Bloom." Faragonda insisted, remembering her days in the company of light with the usual twinge of pain and regret that always accompanied those memories. There had been more than a few similar discussions back then, regarding the ancestral witches. "But we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard. The sheer viciousness you displayed frankly worries me. You didn't just beat them, you slaughtered them."

"I needed to make an impression," Bloom answered matter-of-factly. "Maybe I went overboard, but if it keeps the witches away from us, I don't see a problem."

"I can see that." Faragonda nodded, looking unhappy. "And it concerns me." Bloom didn't answer. After a moment, Faragonda sighed. "Go on back to your room, dear. Get some rest. It's been a stressful day for you." Bloom nodded and left the headmistress' office without saying anything else, closing the door quietly behind her. Neither one of them, she knew, would be able to convince the other. Faragonda was a good person, and Bloom respected her, but on some things, they would never see eye to eye. Bloom dreaded having to explain why. Best case scenario? She suspected the headmistress would look on her with pity, and Bloom cringed at the prospect. The worst case was something her mind refused to even consider.

OOOOOOOOOO

Faragonda frowned after her most perplexing student. What could possibly have happened to cause the daughter of her old friends to become so fierce and cold? Most of the time, Bloom was happy and cheerful, enjoying life at Alfea with her friends. When she or someone she cared for was threatened, however, it was almost as if she became another person. For the life of her, Faragonda couldn't tell which was the real Bloom and which was the mask. _What happened to the girl to make her turn out this way?_ Perhaps, her home in Gardenia wasn't all it could be. It bore looking into.

OOOOOOOOOO

The school enjoyed a period of relative peace after the incident in the chamber, as the witches seemed to have retreated to lick their wounds and plot their next attack. Bloom refused to fool herself into thinking those three would give up. Faragonda seemed to be hoping that they would, and that worried the redheaded fairy. Fortunately, there were plenty of things to distract her from such thoughts. There were other things happening at Alfea, after all.

Flora's plants had kept life in the dorm from getting dull. The number and variety she grew in the girls' apartment was simply astounding. So too was the variety of problems they created. Stella had shouted at Flora over the flowers that kept shrinking and trying on her clothes, and that, Bloom thought, was just bizarre. Among the more mundane problems was the smell. The place, she had to admit, did smell pretty bad at times, though she didn't object as strongly as the others.

Techna's encounter with the carnivorous plants was the final straw. She had not been happy over being wrapped up in vines and locked in a closet while the plant destroyed one of Musa's projects. The Fairy of Nature had been profuse in her apologies regarding the damage done and had retreated with her projects to Blackmud Swamp. The others, regretting their harsh reactions, had followed to help her finish her work on her latest project.

They were able to help her finish the potion she was working on, but as per usual; they had run into trouble along the way. The Sylphs they encountered there were interesting. They seemed like decent people, and Bloom and the others were happy to help them deal with the parasitic tree that had cut off their food source and generally made their lives difficult. That thing had definitely needed to go. No one had objected when Bloom burned it to ash, not even Flora.

While that had been an interesting interlude, it had been a relief to get back to Alfea. Bloom had almost missed her opportunity to meet up with Kirito in Alfheim. She offered to take Techna along and anyone else who wanted to go, but Techna had needed to spend time recreating a project one of Flora's plants had damaged. Stella had a beauty treatment of some sort scheduled, badly needed she said after their time in the swamp, and Flora was going with her. They each had their own thing to do that afternoon, so Bloom and Yui ended up going alone.

Mid-afternoon on a Saturday for Bloom corresponded to Wednesday around 8:30 P.M. for Kirito, so finding a convenient meeting time for both was awkward. They had finally arranged to meet, though.

When Bloom put on the AmuSphere and activated the link, she and Yui found themselves just outside the main gate of the capitol city of Alne. There had, she knew, been a few changes since Sugō had been removed. Alne had expanded a bit, and the city now extended into the tree itself.

She made her way from the main gate to the small park where they had agreed to meet Kirito. The streets were full of all manner of people. Faeries of every race existed peacefully in Alne, going about their business as they would in any town in the real world. The shops were manned by NPCs, but the programming was so sophisticated, it could be hard to tell at first glance. To her eyes, as long as she didn't look too closely, Alne seemed to be a thriving town full of happy, productive people.

"I can never get over this place," she admitted to Yui as they walked. If I didn't know better, I'd almost think this was the real world. Maybe a small town in the magical dimension," she allowed as she saw an Undine mage casting a spell on a fountain to make the water dance for the amusement of some of the younger players.

Yui nodded. "It is impressive. A mere 20 years ago, Earth had nothing like this. Today it is almost common place. The use of VR technology has spread far beyond the gamers. Business people don't have to travel to have face to face meetings. There are VR travel agencies competing with companies that arrange plane tickets and hotel rooms."

"It is amazing." Bloom agreed, watching a group of Cait Sith fly overhead.

Remembering that time was a factor, they pushed on to the park to meet Kirito. It proved to be a pleasantly quiet and green oasis in the middle of the bustling town. Bloom glanced about and quickly found Kirito waiting on a bench near the center of the park. Yui was perched on his shoulder in her pixie form. The full-sized Yui with Bloom skipped forward with a smile. "Hi daddy! Hi me."

"Hi me," the other returned with a nod, equally chipper and clearly at ease with seeing her duplicate.

Kirito kept glancing back and forth between the two, looking a bit lost. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. "Good grief."

Bloom chuckled as she took a seat on the bench with her friend, watching the two girls start to chatter. She didn't envy Kirito having two of them to deal with. The two AIs stopped chattering and stood facing each other, placing their palms together. "What are they doing?"

Kirito glanced up at the sudden quiet and the question. "I think they're sharing files." They waited silently until the two stepped back. The Yui that had waited with Kirito grinned. "Fairies and real magic. Wow!"

"Riding on a whale!" The Yui that had arrived with Bloom sounded just as excited.

"Real magic?" Kirito asked, glancing at Bloom.

"Long story." She didn't offer more, and Kirito decided not to push.

"How are you two doing?" He addressed the two Yuis.

"Great!"

"We're good!"

"Uh-huh," Bloom nodded. "So what happens now?"

"We talked about it," her Yui said. "We like our lives. We've been having an amazing time at your school, and we want to see more. We want to keep both running and share memories about once a month."

"Um…Okay," Bloom said, not knowing what to make of the situation but happy no one was getting deleted. She suspected Griselda would scowl, but then again, Griselda was usually scowling.

"You okay, Yui?" Kirito asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine, daddy," his Yui assured him. "I want to maintain the backup. She's learning so many interesting things!"

"I don't have a problem with that," Kirito said after a moment. "If Tyger doesn't mind."

Bloom shook her head. "Not in the least. It'll be nice to have her around. I think Techna will be happy to have you around, too."

"Techna? She a girl at your new school?"

Bloom nodded. "She's kind of obsessive about technology. She's rigged a gadget like the one you made for Yui that lets her see the real world."

"The technology is like nothing I've seen before, daddy." Yui assured him. "It's fascinating. And it'll take me a while to understand what they call magic."

"Magic?" He glanced at Bloom.

She shrugged. "Reality has been a little unreal for me of late. Still getting my head around it to be honest." She proceeded to tell him about her first meeting with Stella and how she had come to attend Alfea.

"That…" he admitted after a moment. "Sounds like another game to be frank."

"I've had that thought, too," Bloom admitted with a rueful smile.

"It's all real, though, daddy," Yui assured him. "There's a girl named Flora who can make plants grow with a wave of her hand, and Techna's magic and technology blend is so seamless you can't tell where one starts and the other leaves off."

"Sounds like an interesting crowd." Kirito chuckled. "I'd love to meet 'em sometime if you want to bring them in game."

"Techna might like that," Bloom nodded, knowing full well that the other girl would jump at the chance. "Bet Timmy would, too."

"Timmy?"

"Her boyfriend," Bloom supplied. "Both love computer games."

Kirito nodded, wondering how they would react to this computer game. SAO was on a level that would have been inconceivable even 10 years ago. "Good. Invite 'em along sometime if they've got the gear."

Bloom told him that that wouldn't be a problem. Then, after a brief hesitation, she shared a few more details of her adventures at Alfea. Some made Kirito laugh. Her attempts to use Alfheim magic at Alfea had had, she freely admitted, mixed results. Other stories, especially those involving the Trix, made him shudder.

"You cut her in half?" He asked incredulously. "And set the other two on fire?"

Bloom shrugged. "Seemed the thing to do at the time, and I was pretty certain they were some kind of projections." She looked down. "And… well Tyger was fully in control." He gave her an odd look, not understanding that statement at all. Bloom took a steadying breath and explained. After all, if anyone would understand, it was Kirito. "They kind of refer to Bloom and Tyger as if we're two different people. I don't even think they know they're doing it most of the time."

"That sounds…awkward," Kirito allowed. Bloom nodded. "I guess if you're that different when not under threat… Maybe that's their way of coping?"

"Doesn't do much to help me cope," she sighed. "I haven't told them about SAO, and I really don't want to."

"That," he nodded, grimly. "I can understand. The government has asked us not to talk about it, but I doubt many would have anyway."

"I worry about what they'd think of me." She admitted hesitantly. "Especially if they knew about… that mission." Her eyes squeezed shut, trying to force back the memories.

"I know." Kirito nodded solemnly. Both were silent for a moment, neither having thought of that day for a long while. After a moment, Bloom began to speak again.

"There are only a few SAO survivors in the States," Bloom shrugged. "We're too few and far between for them to do much more than look in on us occasionally, but yeah, they asked us not to talk about it either."

"Can't see anyone wanting to, actually." Kirito admitted, thinking about some of his more harrowing moments; happy to move on from any hint of conversation about that day.

Bloom shrugged. "I'm sure someone would like to make a fortune writing a book or making a movie about their experience, and that could raise all kinds of unpleasant questions and cause problems for the survivors. I think that's what the government wants to avoid."

"I guess," Kirito nodded. Then the conversation drifted to other, more pleasant, topics. They spent another half-hour talking while the two Yuis played and chattered about their experiences. The whale was a favorite topic of conversation. Bloom decided she'd have to ask about that at some point.

Her alarm went off a few minutes later, and she said her goodbyes, promising to keep in touch and arrange time for a quest together some time soon. She and the backup copy of Yui logged out and returned to Alfea.

OOOOOOOOOO

"So, Yui is staying?" Faragonda looked intrigued as she leaned back in her office chair. Griselda looked annoyed, just as Bloom had expected. It was early evening when she'd returned from Alne and Bloom was looking forward to dinner, but she decided to speak to the headmistress first, to get the talk out of the way.

"When she compared memory files with the original, they decided the backup copy should be maintained as a separate instance." She shrugged. "That's what they said anyway. Not sure about the technical details."

"She'll have to follow certain rules if she's going to stay," Griselda answered with a frown.

Bloom nodded agreeably. "I'll review them with her so there are no mistakes," she looked to the headmistress.

"Very well, Griselda. I think Yui could make an interesting addition to Alfea. Perhaps we could put her to work maintaining the computer systems, once she understands them better."

The head of discipline nodded thoughtfully, realizing that the notion had merit.

"I think she'd find that fascinating," Bloom smiled, happy that they had agreed so easily to let Yui stay.


	13. Spring Break

See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 13 Spring Break

"So, you barely passed the test," Bloom sighed reclining on the couch in their apartment next to Stella. "I hope the Miss Magix competition was worth it." The beau1ty pageant had seemed an utter waste of time to Bloom, especially as the fashion obsessed fairy had skipped several classes to prepare for it, but Stella had been so excited that she'd kept her opinion to herself.

Naturally, things hadn't gone smoothly. The arrival of the Trix and the trouble they had caused supporting one of the contestants was an unwelcome surprise. Apparently, the three had been in it for laughs and had dropped the illusion disguising their former classmate, Lucy, as soon as she'd been presented with the crown. Lucy had been instantly disqualified and thoroughly humiliated.

The mean-spirited prank had infuriated Bloom, but the three witches had vanished before she could catch up with them. Stella had pointed out, displaying more than her usual level of self-centeredness; that the young witch had brought it on herself. Bloom couldn't argue the point, especially as shed didn't know exactly what arrangement Lucy had with the fugitive Trix, but she still felt sorry for the girl.

"A pass is a pass," Stella smiled, pleased with herself, bringing Bloom's attention back to the present. She decided not to comment. "So, you going home for break?"

"Yeah, I miss my parents, and talking on the phone isn't the same."

Stella nodded. "I'll be visiting my mother over the break." She sighed. "Just wish…"

Bloom slung an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. She honestly didn't know of anything she could say that would make her friend feel better, but wishing she did. Stella gave her a half-smile and seemed to cheer up a bit. "See you after break?" Stella nodded. Bloom stood up from the couch they were lazing on and went to finish her packing. She didn't need to take much, but there were a few things she'd picked up in town that she wanted to show her parents.

It would be good to see Gardenia again. Hopefully, she'd get a break from the dreams as well. Her research into Daphne had led to some interesting places, but there were still a lot of pieces missing to that puzzle. She had returned to the library to look for more references to Daphne, but all the books that mentioned her had been removed. The same went for books about the witches and the Great Dragon. She suspected Faragonda had them. The headmistress certainly knew more than she was saying about the dreams, Daphne, and about Bloom herself, but the woman wasn't talking, and Bloom wasn't sure if she would trust the answers.

Fortunately, she had made notes while reading through the books while she had them and had an, admittedly vague and incomplete, timeline and summary of key events. The book on the Great Dragon had been enlightening, and it certainly tied into Daphne, as Daphne was the last princess of Domino, the place where the Great Dragon supposedly came to rest after creating the magical universe.

The fact that the book on the last witch coven, the group that had destroyed Domino, was thrown at her, also made sense. Their history was outlined in detail, as was their campaign to conquer the magical universe. However, the details of their final defeat were sketchy. Many questions remained about that, such as what happened to the king and queen of Domino? Bloom wasn't sure where to get the answers. Faragonda, who had been a member of the Company of Light as it was called, knew at least some of the details, and Bloom didn't know why she wasn't willing to share them with Bloom. Saladin and Griffin were also part of the Company, but she was reluctant to approach them, as that might just end up antagonizing Faragonda to no good end.

Saladin's invitation to talk was still open, it was still the last thing Bloom wanted to do. She didn't want a visit to him to be misinterpreted. While a visit to Cloud Tower to speak with Professor Griffin might be interesting, she didn't want Faragonda thinking that she was going behind the headmistress' back to someone who was basically the old woman's rival. She could think of a few people that wouldn't hesitate to try to play the two against each other, but Bloom despised that kind of manipulation. That left her back at square one.

She'd arranged another walk with Brandon, sharing her concerns and welcoming a new perspective. He had promised to ask Timmy to run a search on the library at Red Fountain and see what turned up. Perhaps, after the break, he would have some answers for her.

Bloom repressed a sigh and decided to try to not think about it for a while. Hopefully, a little time with her family would give her some much needed perspective. With bags in hand, she headed for the station.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Welcome home, honey," her mother threw her arms around Bloom and hugged her. "Come in, come in. Let's get you settled, then, we want to hear all about Alfea." Bloom took her bags up to her room and came back down. Fortunately, her father had that Saturday off and was there for the story.

Bloom told them about the friends she had made and about the teachers. She showed them a couple of simple spells she'd mastered. She told them a little about Cloud Tower and Red Fountain. With a little prodding, she told them about Brandon. That led to questions about his background and intentions.

She assured them that Brandon had been the perfect gentleman. So far they had only talked and danced a few times at school functions so far. They seemed satisfied with this and let the matter pass. Bloom helped her mother make dinner, which was a first, as her mom never asked for help in the kitchen. She seemed distracted, though, and obviously wanted to talk about something. Whatever it was went unsaid when the pot roast in the oven caught fire. Bloom quickly put out the flames and cleared the smoke out of the air. In the excitement, she forgot all about whatever topic her mother had been trying to work up to.

By the next morning, she had forgotten the matter completely, and went for a ride on her bike right after breakfast. Naturally, she ran into her old school's resident elitist, Mitzy. The girl had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth and only removed it long enough to insult people she saw as inferior. It seemed most people fell into that category. Bloom heard the familiar voice as she passed an apartment building and turned her head to see the snobbish girl coming down the stairs. "Bloom? Where have you been?"

"Away," Bloom informed her shortly, not wanting her good mood ruined.

"Well, duh," Mitzy snorted. "I'd heard a rumor that you were sent to reform school. So what are you doing here? Get kicked out?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Bloom answered, not bothering to look at the stuck-up girl. "I'm guessing you started that rumor."

"School isn't out for a break at this time of year," Mitzy mused, ignoring the accusation. "You did get kicked out!" she crowed. "Wait till I tell everyone."

"Nice to see some things never change, Mitzy," Bloom returned easily. "You're still a selfish, mean-spirited little gossip that wouldn't know truth if it bit her. Now get lost." She paid no further attention to Mitzy's tirade and rode on. Bloom went about her business, enjoyed her ride in peace, and returned home to a, thankfully, quiet and normal evening. She didn't dream that night.

Her return to normalcy, as she'd privately thought of it, was disrupted by a new aspect of her Winx emerging. The teachers had explained Winx to her as a type of internal energy that fairies drew on. She'd listened to lectures and read books on the subject, but was still surprised by this manifestation. Nothing like it had been described to her or referenced in any of the books she'd read.

For a time, Bloom just pedaled slowly down the street, watching odd after-images of people with exaggerated features and mannerisms. It was as if she could see their true nature or their emotions. She wasn't sure. No one else seemed to be able to see them. Realizing she was running late, she tried to put it out of her mind as she hurried on to her mother's flower shop.

Bloom pushed open the door to the sound of her mother's excited voice. "Of course. Just bring the last of the documents over and I'll sign them today." Bloom entered the shop to find her mother talking with two well-dressed men. The two were all smiles on the outside, making promises of a bright future as Bloom listened to the conversation. When Bloom looked at the shapes hovering over them, however, she saw something different. The two bizarre afterimages, for lack of a better word, were grinning maliciously and rubbing their hands together like cartoon villains. She could even hear them muttering to themselves, something about suckers.

Her mother noticed her standing in the door and took the opportunity to introduce her to them. Mr. Bonner and Mr. Bonner, no relation, were interested in investing in the shop. If all went well, and they were certain it would, they could turn the shop into a chain.

Managing to keep a pleasant smile on her face until they had left, Bloom allowed a worried frown to settle on her features after they had driven away. Then she told her mother what she'd seen and what she thought it meant.

"I think they're trying to con you. What I saw…they're not trustworthy." Her mother frowned in concern and nodded. She'd seen her daughter do amazing things and found that this claim was not all that hard to accept. She spent a moment mourning the loss of what had seemed a golden opportunity, but got over it quickly. When the two Mr. Bonners returned an hour later, she informed them that she had changed her mind and there would be no deal. They didn't take the news well.

"But, why? I thought we had an agreement."

"I've changed my mind," she repeated. "It's too big a step. I like things the way they are."

They spent a few more minutes trying to reassure her before escalating to subtle threats.

"That's it," Bloom snapped, catching the pot that one of the Bonners had deliberately knocked off the counter. "Both of you. Out."

"Very well. You know how to contact us if you reconsider." The two left without another word.

Vanessa shook her head. "You were right about those two, honey. Nothing but trouble."

"Well, they're gone now," Bloom reassured her. "Let's hope that trying to break one pot is as far as they're willing to go." Her mother looked slightly worried over that, but Bloom gave her a hug. "Don't worry. We'll deal with it if they start trouble." Her mother nodded uncertainly, and they got back to work.

OOOOOOOOOO

As it turned out, they were willing to go further. The shop's glass door was broken the next day as was a vase set outside for a customer. Bloom repaired the door and placed a charm on it that would make the glass much harder to break. She repaired the vase with a similar spell, but didn't add any additional protections as that might draw unwanted attention.

At the end of the day, Bloom put a spell she'd learned at Alfea on the doors to the shop before they went home. Nothing triggered it that night, but she doubted the two Bonners had given up. She removed the spell on arriving at the shop with her mother and recast it shortly before leaving for lunch. They returned to find a crowbar sticking out from between the doors and what sounded like a gong going off inside.

"Magical burglar alarm," Bloom explained to her startled mother. "Let's call the police and see if they can get any prints off the crowbar." Bloom ended the spell and the noise stopped. Gardenia's finest arrived only a few minutes later, summoned by a neighbor because of the noise.

Vanessa explained to the officers what had happened and a report on the attempted break-in was filed and assigned to a detective. Vanessa told the detective about the two Bonners and their attempts at fraud and intimidation and was assured that the police would look into it. The officers collected the crowbar and took prints from it and the shop's glass door. The detective saw to it that footage from several security cameras in the shops along the street was collected; including one directly across from the flower shop.

As it happened, the two would-be burglars wore motorcycle helmets and gloves, but both men had handled the crowbar before putting on the gloves. The license plate on the motorcycle they used was clearly visible in one frame taken from a camera down the road, and a quick check with the DMV showed that it was registered to the limo driver employed by the two businessmen. The driver, the police discovered, was all too happy to turn on his employers, given that they'd once cheated him out of his own business. The two were arrested the day before Bloom returned to Alfea. It didn't take long before others they had cheated began to make complaints against them.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Glad to have that behind us," Vanessa sighed, setting down the phone and returning to the table where the family was having dinner. "With those two in jail, we shouldn't have any more trouble with break-ins or vandalism."

"That's good," Bloom smiled. "Break is almost over."

"Erm…yes," her father said, looking uncomfortable as he set down his knife and fork. "There is something we need to talk about."

"Oh?"

"We told you that you were adopted," her mother began after taking her seat. Bloom nodded. Her mother had told her that the day they adopted her was the happiest day of her life. For some reason, she now sounded hesitant to discuss the matter. "But what you don't know is…well… the details. You see, it was your dad who actually found you, while he was on the job."

"On the job?" Bloom looked at her father. Her father the fireman. She turned back to him. "How?"

Mike frowned over the memory and the possible implications of what he'd seen that day. "It was a four alarm fire," he began. "An entire block was burning, and we couldn't do much more than limit the damage. I was leading a sweep for trapped people when I heard crying. I followed the sound to a clear spot in the flames. An unburned section of flooring. You were sitting there crying, surrounded by some kind of bubble. The fire was…avoiding you, staying at a constant distance. I went to pick you up, and the fire in the room went out."

"So…I had magic, even then? Why did you never tell me?" she demanded, getting upset. "Did you think I was some kind of freak or-?"

"No. Of course not," her mother cut her off, reaching across to take her daughter's hands and give them a reassuring squeeze. "It never happened again, so it didn't seem important; at least, not until Stella arrived. Then…" She gestured helplessly. "Everything happened so fast, we didn't know what to make of it. You were off to Alfea before we could think to bring it up. It's not the kind of conversation that should be handled over the phone."

"So…Someone abandoned me…in a fire?"

"We're not sure of the circumstances," Vanessa cautioned, "but…well, that's where you're dad found you."

"So, I might not even be from Earth." Bloom shook her head, confused and conflicted. "I don't know what to think about this."

"There's just no way of knowing, sweetie," her mother commiserated.

"All we know for sure," her father said, "is that you're our daughter, and that's never going to change."

They both did their best to reassure her, but that didn't change the fact that Bloom had a whole new set of questions she needed to find answers to. What had she been doing in a burning building? Why had her parents not told her about this sooner? Actually, on consideration, the second question answered itself. Her powers hadn't manifested themselves again until she met Stella.

It would have been awkward to bring it up before then, and she had to admit that she hadn't given them a lot of time to adjust afterwards. She wasn't upset with them. They'd made the best of a strange situation, and they were amazing parents. She couldn't have wished for better. That didn't mean she didn't want to know the truth.

The question was, where did she even start to look for it?

OOOOOOOOOO

"That's quite a story," Techna nodded. "It also explains a few things."

"Yeah," Stella said, lounging back on the couch in the common area of their apartment at Alfea. "Everyone knows there are no fairies on Earth anymore." Bloom looked at her. "Well, I mean, you're turning up was a real mystery. Now that's settled."

"So where did you really come from and what were you doing in a fire?" Flora asked from her perch on the arm of the couch. "Those are the questions we need to answer."

"Can I count on your help in getting them?" Bloom asked looking around.

"Of course, darling," Stella assured her. "Sticking my nose in other people's business is my favorite hobby."

"We'll all help." Musa assured her as they all stifled a laugh at Stella's declaration. "Question is, where do we start?"

"How about with Faragonda?" Bloom suggested. "I'm not sure why, but I think she knows more about me than she's told me."

"Why would she do that?" Techna wanted to know.

"No idea," Bloom shrugged, "but I've been reluctant to press matters. Now…something tells me I need to know."

The others nodded, whether agreeing or just showing support, Bloom wasn't sure. Either way, she knew she could rely on her friends.

1


	14. Revalations

See Ch. 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 14 Revelations

"So, you were able to see their auras?" Faragonda sounded surprised as she regarded Bloom from across her desk. "That is impressive and… unexpected."

"What were you expecting?" Bloom asked, trying to sound curious rather than confrontational. She needed to get answers, not aggravate the headmistress.

Faragonda looked thoughtful as she spoke. "That ability usually takes time to develop in a fairy, never mind to master. It's almost unheard of in a first year student. It speaks well of both your magical reserves and your latent potential."

Bloom nodded, filing that information away and decided to change the subject. "I didn't dream about Daphne while I was on Earth," she said, startling the headmistress, "but I do have some idea why I've been dreaming of her."

"Daphne?" she asked, trying to sound curious rather than concerned.

"The woman who has been coming to me in my dreams," Bloom reminded her. "It wasn't hard to put a name to the face." She regarded the headmistress levelly, deciding it might be time for a little confrontation. "You already knew that, didn't you?"

"I suspected," she allowed. "The description you gave of her was fairly detailed. I didn't know why she'd be contacting you, though. What did you mean when you said you have some ideas about why you dream of her?"

Bloom explained the circumstances of her adoption, and what her parents had told her about the day she was found. "It likely means I'm not even from Earth," she concluded.

Faragonda looked thoughtful. "That is likely true," she concluded. "Perhaps it is time we both got some answers." She explained that Daphne was known to live at the bottom of a remote lake and that it was not a place they could go physically. They could, however, visit using astral projection.

Bloom quickly agreed, and the headmistress prepared herself for what she informed Bloom was a difficult and draining spell. When it was prepared, Bloom did her best to relax as Faragonda instructed.

Faragonda closed her eyes and concentrated. For a moment, nothing happened; then the world went weird and she could feel herself being pulled along in the older fairy's wake. The world soon swam into focus, and Bloom found herself in the middle of a school of fish. Glancing around at the underwater scene, she marveled at the idea that she was walking along a lake bed, she glanced up, a great distance underwater. She didn't know how deep Lake Roccaluce was, but she couldn't see light from the surface at all. Her first impulse was to hold her breath, but she quashed it, remembering that she wasn't actually there.

"Hurry, Bloom," Faragonda urged. "I can't hold the spell for long. Daphne's cave is this way." She led the way across an underwater landscape that Bloom had to force herself not to marvel at. They were, after all, in a hurry. The method of travel wasn't quite swimming or flying, but again, Bloom made herself focus. It wasn't the time for sightseeing or experimentation with the astral state.

After a brief journey, they reached the nymph's underwater home. Daphne herself waited there. She didn't speak, but she motioned Bloom forward and held out a wooden box. At Bloom's curious look, Daphne opened it, revealing what looked like a crown. Then the scene faded and Faragonda slumped back in her chair, exhausted.

"I'm sorry, Bloom," she said between panting breaths. "I couldn't hold it any longer, but you do have one more piece to the puzzle of who you are."

"Yay me," Bloom deadpanned. "But I have no idea how it fits with the rest. Did you recognize what was in the box?" Faragonda shook her head. "Well, thank you for trying, Headmistress. Is there any chance I could learn that spell so I can go myself?"

"It is a very advanced spell, Bloom. It will take time to learn it, and longer to master it." Bloom's shoulders slumped and Faragonda gave a tired smile. "We'll try again later or find another way."

Bloom nodded, and with the headmistress' leave, headed back to her apartment and found her friends doing homework and studying. That stopped when she arrived, as they began to pepper her with questions.

"So what happened?" Stella asked excitedly. "Did she tell you anything?" The others added their own questions.

"Yes and no," Bloom answered, cutting off the flow. She described the scene in Faragonda's office and shared what she had learned. "It was frustrating, getting just a bit more information out of all that, and I don't have any idea what it means!"

"Well, let's review what we know," Techna suggested, turning to her computer and starting to type. "Daphne has been communicating with you through your dreams." Bloom nodded and Techna made a note on her computer. "She is from Domino, one of the royal family of that world." Again, Bloom nodded. "You yourself are probably not from Earth."

"Not sure I like where this is going," Bloom murmured, but nodded.

Techna continued, knowing that Bloom wouldn't like it but that it had to be said. "You have a great deal of power, as evidenced by the spells you cast, some of which, my research suggests, you shouldn't have been able to cast yet or shouldn't have worked for anyone."

The other girls glanced at each other, considering for a moment; then acknowledged that that was undeniably true. Bloom kept her expression carefully neutral, but didn't dispute the statement. She knew she couldn't.

"Then, there's the witches," Techna tapped at her computer for a few moments.

"What about them?" Musa prompted, after waiting a short time for the other fairy to continue.

"They have attacked you repeatedly, and we know they are looking for the Dragon's Fire, which is supposedly a nearly limitless source of magical energy."

"I definitely don't like where this is going," Bloom sighed, resisting the urge to slump. "You think I have the Dragon's Fire?"

"It is a distinct possibility," Techna allowed. "I know of no way of confirming it, though. Not without actually speaking to Daphne or otherwise learning more about your past. I'd suggest researching Domino. If you are from there, maybe some clue will be found in the library."

"Only problem is," Stella put in with a frown marring her pretty face, "Domino is a frozen wasteland these days. I'm not sure anything survived what the ancestral witches did to that world."

They spent some time debating it, bouncing ideas and theories off of each other, but in the end, they were forced to conclude that there was too little information for them to be sure of anything yet. Techna freely admitted that while her deductions were logical, they were still rather far-fetched.

"We need more information," Bloom sighed, "and the person who I think has it, isn't talking. I think we should table the debate for the time being." The others agreed, and decided to focus on their schoolwork instead. It seemed less worrisome.

OOOOOOOOOO

There was a general protest from the class over Professor Wizgiz' announcement. "This quiz will be over material we've covered," he assured them. "If you've been paying attention, you have nothing to worry about."

"Easy for you to say," one of his students muttered. There was more grumping, but Wizgiz waved it off. "Just review the material and you'll be fine." He then glanced at the clock and noted it was time to dismiss the class. With one last reminder to study, he sent his students on their way.

No one was happy at the idea of a pop quiz, but Bloom wasn't overly concerned. In fact, she was barely thinking about it when she left the room. Her mind was still focused on her very confusing personal matters when she passed professor Wizgiz making a scene in the hall tearing through his bag looking for something. Lost in thought, she walked on with barely a glance at him. A moment later he dashed by her, still muttering to himself, and failing to notice the envelope that fell out of his bag, landing nearly at her feet. Bloom called after him as she stopped to scoop it up. She followed after him to return it, but he turned a corner and vanished.

"Huh." She tucked the envelope into her back pocket without glancing at it and went on her way. A few minutes later, she saw Griselda striding down the halls doing one of her infamous spot inspections. "Ms. Griselda," she called.

"Yes, Bloom?" The head of discipline stopped, regarding her politely.

"Have you see Professor Wizgiz today?"

"Not recently. Why?"

Bloom pulled the envelope from her pocket. "He dropped this in the hall, seemed in a real hurry. Could you see that it gets back to him?"

Griselda took the envelope. "Of course." She went on her way and Bloom returned to her dorm room to try and focus on studying for the quiz. It was, frankly, easier than thinking about questions of identity she had no answers to. She forgot about the envelope.

OOOOOOOOOO

Stella slid into her seat next to Bloom and looked around the classroom in confusion. "What happened to you guys?" she wondered aloud, examining the girls sitting close to her. Each of them flushed with embarrassment and turned away without answering. The black marks on the faces of most of the students in the room were rather hard to miss, although it appeared that some had tried, unsuccessfully, to cover them with makeup.

"Beauty treatment gone wrong?" Stella theorized, glancing at her friends. Bloom, Techna, Musa, and Flora all shrugged, as confused as she was. Any further speculation was interrupted by Wizgiz' arrival. The erratic little teacher hopped up on his desk and gave the class a self-satisfied smirk.

"Well, I see the quiz was quite a success!" He chortled, looking at the students with the odd facial decorations. The response was general confusion. "You see, I arranged for you all to find a certain envelope the other day. I can tell that there was only one group of students that didn't open it." He looked at Bloom and her friends.

"You mean that envelope you dropped in the hall yesterday?" Bloom asked, still confused. "I gave that to Griselda when I couldn't find you. Why would I open it?"

"Griselda?" Wizgiz gulped. "I-" There was a sharp rapping on the door to the classroom. "Yes?" he called hesitantly. Griselda stuck her newly decorated face into the room. She sported the same black marks as most of Professor Wizgiz' students.

"I'd like a moment of your time, Professor," she said in a tone that dropped the temperature in the room.

"Of course, Griselda." The diminutive teacher hopped off his desk and walked to the door with none of the usual spring in his step. He looked like a man walking to his execution, and the look on Griselda's marred face told them that might not be far from the truth. "I really should have thought this out better," he muttered.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the rest of the class started laughing. Bloom and her friends traded baffled looks.


	15. Nightmare

See Ch. 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 15 Nightmare

The Knights of the Blood Oath marched in formation toward the Boss room, each one grim-faced and resolute. They all knew what could happen inside, and they had each psyched themselves up for the coming battle in the way that suited them best. The time for that was past. What was needed now was discipline and firm adherence to the plan.

Bloom looked around the group, wondering what she was doing there and why it all seemed so familiar. Boss raids were nothing new to her, but that wasn't it. Something else. She knew the people around her of course. To her immediate right was Aiko. The slip of a girl didn't look like much, but she was quick and agile. The hand axes she fought with could move faster than most eyes could follow. Two spots to Bloom's left, was Choji. He was big and not overly quick, but he was one of the best tanks in the guild, thanks to his immense strength and heavy armor. Walking behind Choji was Kaeoman whose name, Bloom always thought, suited him well. His name meant Joyful, she'd been told, and he had made it his job to keep the spirits of the others up; often a thankless task but a necessary one. He tended to dance around the edges of a fight, making often critical strikes when a monster was distracted; at least, when he wasn't pulling wounded comrades to safety and administering health potions.

The four of them had shared a meal just an hour ago. She knew them well, having fought beside them often in the past, having laughed and cried with them. Something was wrong, though. There was something she couldn't remember. Something they'd done without her.

Unable to recall, she looked up at the looming door with the stylized '75' carved above it. And she remembered. They had died.

Bloom woke with a throat tearing scream. The others were around her in seconds. Flora tried to pull her into a hug, but Bloom had rolled herself into a ball, shaking violently with reaction. All they could do was watch as she tried in vain to calm her breathing; eyes wide with wildly conflicting emotions.

Eventually, she relaxed and was able to sit up, still shaking slightly. Her breathing calmed and she looked at her friends around her. "I-I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to wake you all. It…was just a nightmare."

"Just a nightmare?" Musa snorted incredulously from where she stood at the foot of the bed. "You probably woke the entire building. What happened?" Bloom didn't answer.

"Might help if you talk about it," Flora offered, rubbing her back in circles to soothe her, just as she'd sometimes done for her little sister when she had bad dreams.

"I…" Bloom broke off, but after a moment, she continued somewhat reluctantly. "Ever had one of those dreams where you're helpless? You know what's going to happen, and you know it's going to be awful, but you can't do anything but watch?"

"Those are the worst." Stella shuddered, but wisely didn't bring up losing a beautiful pair of designer shoes to a shopper who got to them first. She suspected that whatever Bloom dreamed about had been much worse.

"Bad when it's a dream." The redhead buried her face in her knees, unwilling to face the world for a moment. "Ten times worse when it's a memory."

Her friends stared at her for a moment, each wondering what kind of memory could elicit a scream like that. Flora gave her another hug. "If you want to talk about it, you know we're here for you, and I think it would help."

Bloom shook her head. "Not yet." She stretched and rolled her shoulders. "I feel like I just went three rounds with an ogre. I've never had a dream wear me out like that."

"Sounded pretty awful," Musa allowed. "Think you can get back to sleep?"

"Dunno," Bloom admitted. "But I have to try. Otherwise I'll be dozing off in class."

"That wouldn't be good," Stella noted. "I think Griselda is still a little peeved."

"You think?" Bloom mustered a small smile, and the others laughed.

OOOOOOOOOO

Flora sat up in bed, gasping; her heart racing. Bloom levered herself up in bed and looked around at the disturbance in time to see something dart away from her roommate and through the wall. Throwing back the covers, she went to sit by her friend. "You okay?"

"I-I think so." Flora shuddered but made a visible effort to get a grip on her emotions. "I had an awful dream! Every plant around me was dying, rotting and falling to dust before my eyes. It was horrible!"

Bloom put a comforting arm around her. "Never gonna happen," she said reassuringly. "Scary to think about, but you know you're the best there is with plants." Flora nodded, still looking miserable, not that Bloom could blame her. What Flora had described had to be her worst nightmare.

Bloom comforted her friend while she carefully scanned the room. She didn't know what she'd seen, but she didn't believe for a moment that it was a trick of the light. Something had been in their room with them.

OOOOOOOOOO

The pattern repeated the next night. Stella dreamed of her parents drifting away from her, growing cold and distant. The night after that, Techna dreamed of being overwhelmed by incomprehensible data. Each of them had felt exhausted afterward. Stella had awakened in time to see something large and dark vanishing through the wall of her room. Musa swore she had seen a huge lizard-like creature crouching over Techna as she thrashed and cried out in her sleep.

"Enough is enough," Bloom declared, sitting down at the table with her haggard looking friends. They had gathered in the main room of their apartment the morning after the attack on Techna. "Whatever this thing is, we need to stop it."

"Well, I'm the only one that hasn't been attacked yet," Musa offered, glancing around at the others. "Guess I'm bait. So we stop it tonight." The girls nodded in agreement, and they set about making a plan.

OOOOOOOOOO

"What are we doing here?" Griffin asked irritably, pushing back her hood as Faragonda led them into Alfea's teacher conference room.

"What's wrong, Faragonda?" Saladin asked, more politely but no less curious about what had drawn the heads of the three schools of Magix together in the middle of the night. The request for the meeting hadn't given either of them much to go on, but Faragonda had invoked the company of light, and that made the summons something neither he nor Griffin could ignore.

"I have grave news," Faragonda told them as they took their seats around the table. "The three witches recently expelled from Cloud Tower, Icy, Darcy, and Stormy, are looking for the Dragon's Fire. I believe they are close to finding it." Both of her guests stiffened. "I don't need to tell you how bad things could get if that happens."

"I think you need to tell us everything," Griffin said after a moment. Her irritation at being summoned hadn't vanished completely, but Alfea's headmistress had her full attention.

"Agreed," Saladin said, frowning as he considered the implications.

Faragonda gestured, conjuring cups of tea for her guests before beginning. "As you know, the Dragon's Fire was thought lost, or at least inaccessible, after the fall of Domino. What we did not know at the time, was that Princess Daphne managed to rescue her baby sister. She hid the child where no one would think to look. On Earth."

"Earth?" Griffin snorted. "There haven't been fairies on Earth in ages."

"Which is why it was the perfect hiding place," Saladin noted. He immediately realized where this was going. "You're saying your newest student, Bloom, is the last princess of Domino?"

"I'm certain of it." Faragonda nodded. "I didn't realize it at first. After all, there were any number of ways that a foreign fairy could have wound up there, but the interest Daphne has shown in her, and the extraordinary level of power Bloom has demonstrated have convinced me that she is the baby girl we all thought lost in the fall of Domino. When she returned from Spring Break, she came to me with something she had just learned. Her parents had told her that they had found her alone in a fire, protected by a powerful magic. There can be no other explanation."

"Does she know?" Griffin asked, setting aside any questions about the girl's background in favor of getting to the heart of the matter.

"No." Faragonda shook her head. "I've taken steps to conceal it from her for now. Knowing would put her in grave danger."

"If those three witches know or even suspect her identity," Saladin argued, "then she's already in great danger. Ignorance is not bliss. In fact, it could get her killed."

"There is reason for caution," Griffin allowed, "but in this case, I agree with Saladin. Not knowing puts her at greater risk."

"You may well be right," Faragonda agreed, "which is one of the reasons I called you here. There has been dark magic loose on the Alfea campus for the last couple of nights. I haven't been able to localize or identify it. I feel certain it is centered around Bloom, though. In addition…, there are things about the girl herself that worry me. Questions I've been unable to answer."

"Such as where she learned to fight?" Saladin asked.

"Indeed." Faragonda turned to her Red Fountain counterpart, curious as to how Saladin knew about that.

"Fight?" Griffin asked curiously.

Saladin told his colleagues about the day he'd met Bloom, what he had witnessed, and what she had said to him regarding her skills with a sword. "I've invited the girl to confide in me," he finished, "but so far she hasn't." He gave Faragonda an apologetic look. "I didn't feel it was my place to bring the matter up with you, Faragonda."

"That…explains a few things," Alfea's headmistress said, looking thoughtful. She told her colleagues about the Trix' attack on Bloom inside the magical reality chamber and about Bloom's actions and reactions as well as about the disturbing conversation she'd had with the girl afterward.

Saladin frowned, unaccountably worried. He had known from that first day that the girl had problems. Given what she had said he thought there might be some post-traumatic stress causing her to overreact to perceived threats, but what his old friend had just described went well beyond that. He wasn't sure what to think.

"I'm impressed," Griffin admitted, distracting Saladin from his concern. "I would not have expected to find such ferocity or such darkness in a fairy."

"Which is what concerns me," Faragonda answered, a worried frown crossing her face. "I don't know what happened to her on Earth to cause this. And I don't know how she would react to the revelation about her past and the witches' true interest in her."

"Perhaps she would tell you if she knew the full scope of her situation and the threat she faces," Saladin answered. "You need to tell her everything. Based on what I've seen, she's more than strong enough to handle the truth." Which was true, he admitted to himself. One thing the girl did not lack was strength.

"A typically straightforward approach," Griffin snorted. "I would expect that from a Red Fountain man. Blunt instrument with no thought to the consequences. While I agree she should be told, this should be handled carefully, with some thought given to her possible reactions."

Saladin's eyes narrowed at the comment, even though he had to admit to himself that she had a point. He was given no chance to answer, though, as a loud crash that nearly shook the school interrupted their meeting. "What?" Faragonda was on her feet in an instant and rushing to investigate. Griffin and Saladin followed her outside to discover what was happening.

The three emerged from the school's main entrance to a sight none of them expected. Bloom, Stella, Techna, Musa, and Flora were locked in a fierce battle with a nightmare gargoyle on the front lawn. They were doing their best, fighting fiercely, but they were still losing badly. The creature had evidently fed well. It was huge, easily twice the size of one of the Red Fountain ships.

Even as the three teachers rushed toward the steps, intent on joining the fray, Techna and Flora were knocked out of the air and sent tumbling across the lawn. The others attacked, but their powers had little to no effect on the beast. Musa collapsed after launching her strongest attack, and Stella landed between her and the monster, barely able to protect the two of them with a hastily conjured shield.

"Enough!" Bloom's shout brought the teachers up short before they could join the fight. They could only stare in shock as Bloom inhaled deeply and produced an impressive plume of fire that washed over the nightmare gargoyle, drawing a hissing shriek from the beast. The tactic worked, and it forgot about Stella and Musa and whirled to face her.

"I get it." Bloom yelled at the creature, doing her best to focus its attention on her and give her friends time to recover and escape. "You used the bad dreams to drain us so it would be easier to attack us. You feed on that pain. Well, monster, you eat nightmares? CHOKE ON MINE!"

She brought her hands together as if in prayer and began to chant in a language none of the teachers recognized. As she finished whatever spell she was casting, her body was enveloped in a massive cloud of smoke, and from within that cloud, something began to move. The smoke dissipated, leaving behind a horror that Faragonda privately suspected would give _her_ nightmares.

The creature was massive and resembled a centipede in overall shape, but it was composed entirely of bone. Each leg ended in a vicious spike. Each joint sported knife-sharp edges. Its forelimbs resembled scythes. The entire monstrous assembly was topped by a grotesquely misshapen skull with insect-like mandibles that looked capable of crushing a building, and four red eyes that glowed like fire pits. The creature made no sound save the rattling produced when the bones moved against each other. The sight even gave the nightmare gargoyle pause.

Without warning, the thing that had been Bloom launched itself at the monster. The two met with a thunderous crash and rolled across the lawn. At first, the nightmare gargoyle was able to heal the wounds the many sharp points and cutting edges inflicted, and it managed to tear free of the other's deadly coils. It was left weakened, though, and barely avoided the next lunge.

"Miss Faragonda!"

Faragonda looked down to see the four other girls approaching. They looked worn out, but they also looked terrified, not that any of the three teachers could blame them. All three experienced fighters, veterans of the Company of Light, had frozen in shock, staring at what Bloom's spell had wrought.

"What is that thing?" Techna breathed; horrified by the conglomeration of bone that was literally cutting the nightmare gargoyle to pieces.

"That's Tyger. Or at least it was." The other girls turned to stare at Stella. The blonde fairy shook her head. "I saw her change. Don't ask me to explain it. She screamed something at it about her nightmare and cast one of those weird Alfheim spells of hers."

"If that's what she dreamed about," Techna said, staring wide-eyed at the monstrosity, even as it used one of it scythes to remove the nightmare gargoyle's head, "it's no wonder Bloom woke up screaming." The others nodded, even Stella rendered speechless by the sight. Faragonda listened to the exchange in confusion. Who or what was Tyger? What was Alfheim? She glanced at her counterparts from Red Fountain and Cloud Tower. Both gave quick shakes of their heads. They didn't know what was happening either.

Faragonda focused her senses on the magic surrounding the transformed Bloom. It was unlike anything she'd seen before, but it was definitely drawing on a powerful energy source. It had to be the Dragon's Fire.

The thing Bloom had become threw back its head as if to roar in triumph, but it remained eerily silent save for the rattling of its bones. Something in the air above the school caught its eye, and it turned to focus on that something, it's rattling ceasing. Everyone followed its gaze.

Icy, Darcy, and Stormy hovered above the school, slack-jawed and pale. Obviously, they had not expected this outcome, and no one doubted for a moment that they were behind the nightmare gargoyle's attack. The pile of knife-edged bones gathered itself and launched most of its mass into the air, directly at the three. The witches screamed in terror and barely managed to teleport away before one of the scythes passed through the space they'd occupied.

The beast glared at the spot the three had vacated for a moment, apparently angry over their escape if the rattling of its bones was any indication. Abruptly, it burst apart, a shower of bone dust raining down on the lawn, fading from existence even as it fell. In the creature's place stood an exhausted looking redhead.

Bloom turned and staggered toward the school's front steps. Stella didn't hesitate to rush to her aid, and the others were only a step behind her. The blond fairy caught the near fainting Bloom who gave her a grateful look.

"So…that's what you have nightmares about, huh?" Musa offered, taking Bloom's other arm and draping it over her shoulders. "No surprise."

"None at all," Flora said faintly.

"Totally logical," Techna agreed as they made their way to the front steps where Faragonda, Saladin, and Griffin waited.

"That wasn't quite what I was going for," Bloom offered sheepishly. "Remind me not to do that again."

"On a daily basis if necessary," Techna said, nodding fervently as they reached the front steps. The other girls glanced at her and she flushed in embarrassment. Musa let out an unladylike snort and started to laugh. The others joined in as Bloom was lowered to a seat on the steps of the school.

Faragonda sighed and shook her head in resignation as the five girls were reduced to near hysterics. Saladin and Griffin traded baffled looks. The latter rolled her eyes and muttered something disparaging about fairies and their fragile sanity.

Their laughter was beginning to taper off when a new sound caught their attention. Someone was clapping. Faragonda frowned and looked out across the lawn in time to see a man in very impressive crimson and silver armor step out of the shadows and approach them. Both the man and the symbol on the armor he wore were unfamiliar to her, but the effect on Bloom was electric. Despite her fatigue, the girl shot to her feet and stared at the approaching stranger in abject horror.

"N-no! You can't be here!"

"What's wrong, Bloom?" Musa asked, rising and moving to her side, eyeing the man suspiciously. "Who's that?"

"It's the spell, you silly girl," Griffin told her, watching the approaching figure curiously. She had never seen magic twisted in quite this way. It was impressively dark. "It hasn't ended. This is just another aspect of it."

"How do I stop it?" Bloom asked, almost frantic. "How do I make him go away?!"

Cloud Tower's headmistress merely shrugged. "You cast the spell."

"What's up, Bloom?" Stella asked eyeing the man warily. Whoever he was, he was upsetting Bloom and after what they'd just witnessed, that didn't bode well. "You just trashed a giant monster and a specialist is making you flip out?"

"He's no hero," Bloom said, gritting her teeth and getting a grip on her panic.

"You didn't used to think that," the man said mildly as he stopped at the base of the steps. "There was a time when I was your hero." He smiled fondly at her. "Tyger, my fiercest and most loyal lieutenant; you never fail to impress."

"Bastard!" Bloom hissed, her horror quickly transforming to a rage that baffled the others. "Monster. BETRAYER! MURDERER!"

The man seemed unfazed by her accusations or her tone. "That is a matter of perspective, dear Tyger," he answered calmly. "After all, I never personally murdered anyone. Tell me, Tyger," he asked, his tone growing curious, "are you angrier with me or yourself? So intent on saving lives, you never even realized the real threat was right under your nose. I suppose I can understand your anger. You must have felt quite the fool."

Bloom gave up on words and launched herself at the man with a shriek of rage. She passed right through him. He didn't appear to notice, but he did turn to look at her.

"I've been watching," he told her conversationally. "You and Kirito dealt well with that upstart, Nobuyuki Sugō." The stranger frowned, seeming to grow angry. "That man took my work, my dream, and corrupted it for his own petty ends. Wealth?" He snorted derisively. "I was a god, and you, my wonderful Tyger, were most prized, working so hard to save my people."

"A god?" Bloom sneered, regaining some measure of control. "You delusional maniac! We weren't your people. We were your victims! My biggest regret is that I wasn't the one to kill you!"

He smiled beneficently. "My dear Tyger, you are well named. Still burning bright despite all you've endured. Be strong, my dear. Far graver challenges await you." With that, the magic broke, and Kayaba Akihiko faded from existence.

"I think we all need to talk." Faragonda's calm voice cut through the dead silence that followed. She quickly got the stunned group moving and led them inside. Stella and Flora almost carried the magically and emotionally exhausted Bloom.


	16. A Tale Untold

See ch. 1 for disclaimers

CH. 16: A Tale Untold

The group retreated to the conference room the three teachers had abandoned what suddenly felt to them like hours ago. Griselda approached them, but Faragonda asked her to check on the other students, and assess the damage to the school. The head of discipline nodded and went to make sure there was no serious fallout from the evening's mayhem.

When the door was closed and privacy spells cast, Faragonda introduced Headmistress Griffin and Headmaster Saladin. "I asked them here to assist with the dark magic I'd detected the last couple of nights." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. girls. I had no idea it was so serious. A nightmare gargoyle overwhelmed the entire senior class when I was a student here." She glanced at Bloom. "I never would have considered dealing with the beast the way you did."

Bloom nodded faintly, still not quite in the moment.

"Seriously, Bloom," Stella shook her head. "You've got to stop using those Alfheim spells. Have any of them worked right?"

"I think it's time we had that talk I offered," Saladin said gently but firmly. "Will you tell us what happened?"

Bloom nodded, too drained to even consider putting off the task. "It started with that man, you saw, Kayaba Akihiko. He was a tech genius from a country on Earth, called Japan. He invented a whole new way of interacting with computers. He called it full dive technology. The applications were limitless, he told the media, but he used it to create a game first, because it was the best showcase for the technology, the best way to show off the full range of its capabilities." She paused, looking down at the table and gathering her thoughts. "So he created Sword Art Online. It was a fantasy game that allowed players to immerse themselves completely in another world. Kind of an illusion that affects all the senses. It was mostly sold in Japan, but a few people in other countries got ahold of it and joined the game." Her eyes dropped to the table again. "Worst mistake of my life."

"Bloom?" Flora prompted after a moment.

"C-could we get Yui to tell you about the basics? She knows aspects of it I don't, and…"

"Of course," Techna said readily, taking out her miniature computer and setting the projection field as wide as she could, giving the digital pixie room to move around. "Yui?"

"Here." Yui appeared at once and went straight to Bloom, the holographic pixie perching on her shoulder. "I saw what happened through the cameras," she said. "You're going to be okay, Bloom. The worst is behind you, and I'll be here to help like I wasn't allowed to be in SAO."

"Thanks, Yui." Bloom smiled. "That means a lot."

"Who is this?" Griffin asked, eyeing Yui distastefully. "Her bonded pixie?"

Yui glanced at Cloud Tower's headmistress, considered the question a moment, and shrugged. She had read about Pixies in the school's library. "Not bonded the way you mean, but yeah. I'm here to support her any way I can."

"Can you tell us about this game Bloom mentioned?" Faragonda asked, putting the conversation back on track.

"Of course," Yui said, nodding. She laid out the basics for them in a clear and concise manner, as if delivering a lecture to a class, which surprised Faragonda somewhat after their previous interactions, during which Yui had always spoken and acted very much like a young girl.

Yui explained how the game was supposed to work. The discovery by the players that they couldn't log out, and the speech Kayaba made. "He wanted to be a god in a world he created," she explained. "A total of 10,000 people logged into the game."

"How can a game cause so much grief?" Faragonda asked, looking at Bloom's downcast face.

"Kayaba made special preparations for the game," Yui explained. "Once everyone logged in, he sent an email to the friends and family of everyone in the game, as well as to the media and the government, telling them what he'd done. You see. No one could log out of the game. There was no control for that. If anyone outside the game tried to remove the Nerve Gear or cut the power, a signal would be sent that would trigger a microwave pulse strong enough to destroy the brain and kill the player. Two hundred and thirteen people died when his warning was ignored."

"That's awful!" Flora breathed. "What sort of person does that?"

"He said he wanted to be a god, remember?" Bloom mumbled. "He as good as proclaimed himself such the first day."

"Yes," Yui agreed. "He made a speech before the assembled players about how he controlled everything in the game. He said it was his world. Then he told them that if they died in the game they would die in the real world." She looked down. "Some people didn't believe him."

"You don't mean-?"

"You have no idea what it was like," Bloom interrupted quietly. "We were trapped in a waking nightmare. All around the towns there were things that wanted to kill us, and no way to get out except to beat the game. There were 100 levels, each harder than the last. Lot of people couldn't cope. A lot died trying to fight their way through, but they just weren't strong enough, and some…." She broke off and looked down, recalling the sight of one player throwing himself from the castle walls. "It was harder on Yui in some ways, I think."

"Yui?" Techna glanced at the pixie. She had wondered where the eccentric little AI fit into all of this.

"What you have to understand," Yui began slowly, "is that I'm not… Well, you know I'm not a Pixie. Not really."

"Then what are you?" Griffin asked.

"Everything in the world of Sword Art Online was controlled by a single massive system called Cardinal. It was designed to operate entirely on its own, without any human intervention. Its function was to regulate the balance of SAO, according to its own discretion. From monsters and NPC AIs, to drop rates for money and items, everything there was controlled by the processes that the Cardinal system executed. That included the psychological care of the players." She looked down for a moment, as if reluctant to continue. "Mental health counseling program, prototype I, designation: Yui. I was designed to put players at ease with me. That's why I was given the ability to emulate complex emotions."

"Well, we certainly never guessed," Techna said, blinking in astonishment. "An amazing program to be sure."

"She's as much a person as any of us," Bloom said with conviction, as if challenging them to disagree.

"No one said otherwise," Flora assured her.

Bloom looked down, embarrassed by her outburst. "Sorry. Kirito told me that Yui had a rough time in SAO."

"After Kayaba took control," Yui explained, "I was locked down. I could see the players I was supposed to help. I could see them hurting…but I wasn't allowed to interact with them. I had a purpose, but I was denied. It was…painful." She paused for a moment. "Terror, despair, rage; I saw them overwhelmed by negative feelings. Some of them couldn't take it."

"Bit by bit," Bloom explained, "Yui started to lose herself, although I'm sure she'd describe it as bit errors accumulating with no corrective algorithms responding. She forgot who and what she was. That's when Kirito and Asuna found and adopted her."

"Because of those very errors, you grew beyond your programming," Techna theorized. "I know computers and AIs, and I've detected nothing simulated about your emotions."

Bloom nodded. "That's what we concluded, too. She was able to defy the Cardinal system for them, because she'd grown beyond it."

"Very interesting," Griffin drawled, "but can you get on with it?"

Several people shot her irritated glances, but Bloom picked up the narrative. "About 2,000 players died in the first two months," she said. "Only the strongest players moved to the higher levels, trying to clear the game. The younger kids stayed on the first level with people who volunteered to watch them."

"The strongest players moved on to the front lines," Yui picked up the story. "They were the ones who cleared he floors of monsters and destroyed the bosses."

"Bosses?" Griffin asked. The whole thing sounded deranged to her.

Yui explained what bosses were and the part they played in the game. They all suspected that some things were left out, but they didn't press. The topic clearly upset them both. Bloom was the one to tell them about floor 75.

"It was one of the worst battles I'd seen yet, and that's saying a lot. The Skull Reaper, that thing you saw out on the lawn, was waiting for us. We lost two people almost before we knew it was there. It's all one big blur after that, but…we did beat it, at the cost of 14 lives."

"Fourteen?" Faragonda breathed. _In one fight?_

Bloom nodded. "A third of our number." She looked at the table, not meeting their eyes. "Floor 75. Twenty-five levels to go and we all lay on the ground, exhausted, unable to wrap our heads around that number. None of us saw how we could survive even one more battle like that." She fell silent, gathering her thoughts. "Then it got worse."

Slowly, haltingly, she told them about Kirito's sneak attack on Heathcliff and what it had revealed. The scope of the betrayal stunned the entire room. "He led you through all of that," Saladin said slowly. "All the time watching you struggle and die while he was untouchable. He played the part of a leader and comrade-in-arms, all the while…?" He couldn't finish.

"Well, that certainly explains why you wanted to kill him," Griffin mused.

"Yeah," Bloom said quietly. "And he was right in what he said out there. I was a fool."

"No. He was not," Saladin told her firmly. "I've known men with such mindsets. They can be very smooth. Very charismatic. It can be next to impossible to detect their lies until it is too late." He shook his head. "He tricked everyone, Bloom, not just you."

"I supported him in everything; led the charge more often than I can remember. One dangerous battle after another to…" She ground her teeth in frustrated anger. "All for his amusement."

"What happened after Kirito unmasked him?" Musa asked.

"He admitted it all. Told us everything and then, somehow, he paralyzed us all. We would have ripped him apart otherwise, protected or not. He offered Kirito the chance to duel him without the system's protection. It was going badly for Kirito, when Asuna overcame her paralysis somehow and got between them, taking a fatal blow for Kirito." The others listened raptly, holding their questions. "Kirito…he attacked again, and managed to get himself killed too, but before he disappeared, he shoved his sword through Kayaba's chest. That's how the game was beaten. It automatically shut down and everyone still alive was logged out."

"Well, now I guess we know why you call him 'Kirito-sama,'" Musa shrugged. "Guy earned major respect." The others nodded.

"How many survived?" Faragonda asked delicately.

"Of the 10,000 who went in, 6,147 logged out safely. I didn't find out till months later that both Kirito and Asuna had somehow survived. I think it must have been some sort of parting gift from Kayaba for beating the game. It was announced that he was found dead in his hideaway. His brain fried like those of his victims."

"How fitting," Saladin said grimly. Bloom nodded absently and Yui, still standing on her shoulder, kissed Bloom's cheek.

"This explains much, Bloom," Faragonda began, "but-"

"I'm curious as well," Griselda broke in. "Why did that apparition call you Tyger? And why do your little friends alternate between calling you Bloom and Tyger?"

"Kayaba gave me that name while he was masquerading as Heathcliff," Bloom explained. "He got it from some old poem. 'Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright….something." She shrugged. "I don't remember." Actually she did, but it sounded absurdly pretentious, and she didn't want to be seen that way. "I don't know why they call me Tyger," she nodded at the other girls. "I've asked them not to."

Griffin looked at the other girls curiously. They each looked mildly embarrassed. "Um," Stella began, "it's just that when Bloom first told us about Tyger, not the specifics," she hastened to add, "just that they called her that in the game, it was almost like she was talking about another person, so we took it kind of as a joke, talked about them like they were different people. Then, when we saw how different Bloom was when fighting…it kind of stopped being a joke. When there was trouble, Tyger would appear and…things got rough for the bad guys." She offered the last with a slight smile, trying to lighten the mood. She saw immediately that it hadn't worked, and she looked down, embarrassed. "I'm not sure why we kept it up."

"Then you won't mind stopping," Yui said sharply, drawing everyone's attention to her as she flew down to the table to stand before Bloom, the better to grab everyone's attention. "She's teetering on the edge of MPD as it is. Quit shoving!"

Everyone, including Bloom, stared at the virtual Pixie. "MPD?" Bloom asked in confusion. "Tyger isn't another person. She's…." Memories of the confrontation with the Trix on the Day of the Rose came back suddenly, unbidden. Her eyes widened in alarm as she remembered distinctly thinking of 'putting Tyger back in her cage.'

"MPD?" Griffin asked disdainfully.

"Hush, Griffin, this is serious," Faragonda cast the witch a quelling glance. It shouldn't have come as a surprise that the girl was disturbed, but she still felt completely unprepared for this revelation.

"That's not right," Bloom said faintly, shaking her head. "Tyger is…"

"She was like armor you put on," Yui offered. "To protect yourself, distance yourself from what was happening. It's a normal human response, and in SAO, where tragedy was a near daily occurrence, it was a necessary defense mechanism. I'm not sure when she became more than that."

"It's starting to look like I still need her," Bloom sighed. "If tonight is any indication." She didn't know how to deal with the witches, but Tyger-.

"NO!" Yui stamped her tiny foot on the table. "She isn't another person. You know that, Bloom."

 _Did she_? Yes. She did. Bloom took a calming breath and tried to center herself. Tyger was not another person and would not be allowed to become one. After a moment, she nodded, knowing Yui was right. "It's easier…but it's not healthy. Got it." She looked around at her friends, all of whom looked worried but unsure what to do. "Don't worry about it, guys. I-I guess I didn't know it was happening either."

"It has been a night for disturbing revelations, Bloom," Faragonda said seriously, her expression grave. "You've been through a great ordeal, and I've no desire to add to your burdens."

"But you're going to anyway," Bloom finished. "The three of you didn't get together just for the monster, did you?"

"We gathered to discuss the three witches you tried to bisect earlier tonight," Griffin answered honestly. "Yes."

"Why are they so interested in me?" Bloom asked, already having a pretty good idea what they were going to tell her, but wanting to hear it from the headmistress herself. _Is she going to lie to me?_ She could practically feel Tyger stirring, waiting for an answer just as Bloom was.

"We suspect it has to do with your birth family," Faragonda admitted, offering Bloom a partial truth, "but there are still unanswered questions. What we do know is that you have a great deal of power. The fact that you were able to cast a spell of that nature, especially after being weakened by a nightmare gargoyle, says a lot about your magical reserves."

"Indeed," Griffin nodded, noting the way Bloom frowned slightly at her headmistress, as if irritated or even disappointed with her. "That was an impressively dark spell you cast." It wasn't the time, but she knew she'd have to bring up that look and what it probably meant with Faragonda after the girls had been sorted out for the evening. "I've honestly never seen anything so hideous. You say that creature was designed as part of a computer game?"

"Yeah," Bloom nodded, distracted from her thoughts of Faragonda and her continued secrecy.

"And we've already established that the guy that dreamed it up had a sick mind," Musa commented.

"I'm curious as to how you managed that, though," Cloud Tower's headmistress persisted, ignoring the comment. "I doubt you learned how to cast such a spell here. I heard Stella mention something called Alfheim?"

That started another long explanation. Just as she had for her friends, Bloom explained Alfheim to the three teachers. They were all a little unnerved by the notion that Bloom had been using spells designed by a human that thought magic was make-believe.

"Bloom," Faragonda began, when the explanation was complete. "I'm going to ask that you not cast anymore of those spells. I honestly don't know why they even work for you, but a lot of work went into developing and refining the spells we teach here at Alfea. Developing new ones… Well, it's no wonder you get unexpected results."

"Not even the fire-breathing spell?" Musa asked. "'Cause that one rocks!" The other girls nodded enthusiastically, and Faragonda gave the group a mildly exasperated look as Griffin rolled her eyes and Saladin covered a laugh with a fake cough.

"I don't think I'm up to casting anything," Bloom sighed. "I could use about 10 hours of sleep, preferably with no dreams."

"I was actually going to suggest 24," Faragonda said, "for each of you. There may be some after effects of the nightmare gargoyle's attack. I'll have the school nurse give you something to ensure dreamless sleep."

"That," Bloom nodded with relief, "sounds wonderful."


	17. Secrets Untold

CH. 17 Secrets Untold

"We did not get the entire story out of her," Griffin noted. "Her repeated attempts to kill the Trix, which I find understandable, are somewhat out of character for a fairy."

"I know, Griffin." Faragonda nodded, slumping tiredly back in her chair. "I'm concerned about that too, but I believe we pushed as far as we could."

"Is that why you didn't tell her about her birthright?" Saladin asked. His tone was carefully neutral and casual, which immediately told Faragonda he disapproved of her choice.

"She has absorbed quite enough shocks for one day," the old fairy said, glancing at her old friend. "Physically, magically, and emotionally exhausted."

"It is possible she knows already," Griffin said thoughtfully. "She seemed… disappointed in you when you didn't say more than you did."

"You think so?" Alfea's headmistress asked, startled. Frowning with worry, she replayed that part of the conversation in her mind. It was possible, she admitted. If true, she'd have to handle the next steps with Bloom carefully. She didn't want to lose the younger fairy's trust, assuming she hadn't already.

"Based on her expression," Griffin nodded, "I believe she has learned enough to make a few deductions. She has almost certainly realized that you know more than you're telling her."

"That could lead to problems," Saladin agreed. "I don't think you can put off that talk any longer, Faragonda."

Griffin considered briefly. "I don't believe the Trix will be back any time soon after tonight's display. They will be trying to find a new, safer approach."

"I suspect you're right," Saladin allowed a slight smile at the memory. "Nevertheless. You will still need to speak to her soon, and keep a close watch on her, so the Trix can't try again." The other two nodded. "Also, see if you can't get her to talk to you about whatever she's holding back."

"What exactly is MPD, anyway?' Griffin asked suddenly.

Faragonda looked at her, jolted by the sudden change in subject and the reminder of what might prove to be a serious problem. "Multiple Personality Disorder," she supplied. "The…persona she took on while trapped. The, as Yui put it, armor she wore, is taking on a life of its own, becoming a separate personality."

"How…odd," Griffin shook her head.

"And rather problematic," Saladin added.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I feel so much better," Bloom said stepping out of the shower and using a touch of magic to pull the towel to her.

"Last night was pretty much the definition of a rough night," Musa nodded, in complete agreement. "That long nap really hit the spot."

"Now a good breakfast and I think we'll be ready for the day," Bloom nodded.

"There was a note from the Headmistress," Techna told them. "We've been given the day off to rest."

"Sounds good to me," Stella commented coming into the common area with a big smile. "What shall we do with our day?"

"I think I'll log in and see if I can catch Kirito-sama," Bloom said thoughtfully, "but I also want to talk to Brandon."

"I suppose you've got a lot to tell them," Flora offered, moving to stand by her shoulder, offering her implicit support.

"Yeah," Bloom nodded seriously. "I do. I've spent too long not dealing with this. Yui was right in saying that it's catching up with me, and that it's not healthy."

"Well, you know you can count on us to help, right?" Flora asked.

"Absolutely," Stella said from the place she'd taken on the couch. "I am sorry if we gave you a hard time about Tyger. We-"

"It's okay, Stella," Bloom assured her. "No one knew; not even me."

"You going to be okay?" her friend asked.

Bloom smiled. "I've got my family; I've got my best girlfriends. I've even got a great guy. I think I'm gonna be fine."

"Count on it," Stella assured her, coming off the couch to give Bloom an enthusiastic hug. "So. You're going to tell Brandon?"

Bloom nodded. "I've asked him to come over later. We're…gonna have a long talk."

"Good luck," Stella nodded. "Just remember, it's a lot to absorb."

"Indeed," Techna nodded. "He may need a little time to adjust to the idea."

Bloom nodded thoughtfully. "I'll bear that in mind."

OOOOOOOOOO

"I needed this," Bloom admitted as she blocked a wild swing from the monster attacking her before taking off two of its four arms and kicking it away while she turned to her next opponent.

"Leave some for the rest of us," Klein called cheerfully as he ran another monster through.

"Plenty to go around," Leafa chided, beheading another monster. She said it with a teasing smile, and Klein grinned as he kicked one of the four-armed troll things in the gut and split its skull.

Bloom barely noticed this, preoccupied with her own opponents. She blocked a swung club and her counter-attack left a deep gash in its chest. It staggered back and the tip of a black sword poked out of its stomach. It dissolved into pixels, revealing Kirito already spinning away to handle a brute with two swords. Bloom herself leaped to Asuna's side to assist with three of the things that were ganging up on her,

Soon enough, the pack of creatures was dealt with, and the party decided to take a rest. They picked a grassy hillside and stretched out enjoying the virtual sunshine. Once they were comfortable, Asuna turned to Bloom. "I hear you've been leading an interesting life."

"Little too interesting recently," she admitted. "This was kind of a vacation for me."

"Things weirder than normal at Alfea?" Kirito asked. Bloom nodded. "So what happened? Those witches causing more trouble?"

Bloom thought for a moment about how to begin and decided to keep it simple. She started with the first attack by the nightmare gargoyle. Kirito, Klein, and Asuna all shuddered at her description of the nightmare. They hung on every word as she told them of the plan she and the others had made and described the fight with the nightmare gargoyle and how she had turned herself into Skull Reaper in order to destroy it. Then she told them how she had thrown herself at the witches.

"They got away, I take it?" Kirito asked, noting her expression. Bloom nodded, honestly not sure how she felt about that.

Klein saw the glum look on her face and nodded solemnly. "Leaving behind only three puddles of piss as proof they'd been there at all." Everyone stopped and stared at his serious face for a moment, before half the group fell over laughing. Asuna and Leafa shook their heads in mock disapproval. The two Yuis just looked slightly confused.

The laughter tapered off after a few moments, and they took a moment to catch their breath. "So, the spell worked for you the same way it did for me, huh?' Kirito asked, turning to face Bloom.

"You've used that one?" She asked curiously, turning her head toward him from where she lay sprawled lazily on the grass. She really had needed a good laugh.

"He did," Leafa affirmed, sounding a bit sour for some reason. This time it was the two Yuis who laughed, much to Kirito's discomfort.

"Am I missing something?" Bloom asked. Asuna looked curious, too.

"Well," Kirito began, "Leafa and me were trapped by a group of Salamanders, strong fighters with wizards backing them up. I did my best to break their lines with Leafa healing me, but these guys were solid. Then Yui suggested that spell. I thought it was just going to make me _look_ like a monster, but it actually changed me. I remember knocking several off the bridge with a single sweep of my arm. I remember eating several of them. The others broke and ran when I did that, or tried to. It was amazing."

"I made the mistake," Leafa sighed, "of asking what eating them had been like, and he described the flavor and texture." She shuddered at the memory. "Gross. Then he catches my hand and puts it in his mouth." Bloom and Klein laughed.

"You bit her?" Asuna sounded mildly exasperated.

"It was just a dumb joke," Kirito grumped. "There was no need to slap me like that."

Asuna rolled her eyes. "Well what did you expect her to do?" she asked as Klein and Bloom laughed all the harder.

Eventually, they got back to Bloom's story and she told them about Kayaba's appearance. All of the other SAO survivors scowled over that, and over what the man had said to her. Klein shook his head. "Bastard," he muttered under his breath. The rest nodded and let Bloom finish her story without further interruption.

"So they know everything?" Kirito asked.

"Almost," Bloom admitted reluctantly. "I…haven't told anyone about Laughing Coffin."

"Yeah," Kirito looked away. "I get that." No one who'd been there commented, and Leafa, seeing the haunted look on her brother's face, chose not to ask. "So," he said after a moment. "Therapy? You'd hardly be the only one."

"I'm taking things a day at a time," Bloom answered. "Yui's a huge help, and everyone is being very supportive."

"Well, you can rely on us if you need anything," Asuna promised her. "In the meantime, I want to hear more about Alfea and real fairies."

OOOOOOOOOO

Brandon greeted her with a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe," he said, the relief clear in his voice. "I've been hearing some crazy rumors coming out of Alfea." Bloom held him tightly for a moment, enjoying the feeling of safety his embrace provided. When they separated, Bloom took his hand and led the way to a quiet portion of the school grounds, a favorite place of hers to study.

"Well," Bloom allowed as they walked, trying to contain her nervousness over what she needed to tell him. "Some of them probably aren't rumors. It's kind of why I asked you to come over. I wanted to talk to you about what happened and why it happened that way."

"Does any of it involve you turning into a demon and eating a wild dragon?"

Bloom stopped in her tracks and stared at him incredulously for a moment; then began to laugh. "That's the rumor?"

"One of them," Brandon said, chuckling.

"Before I tell you about that," Bloom said, pulling him on to her favorite tree-shaded bench and growing serious, "I need to tell you about a…difficult time in my life. Something that happened to me before I learned I was a fairy."

"Okay," Brandon said, matching her tone. "What happened?"

Bloom took a deep breath and began the story. She told him about the creation of Sword Art Online and about Aincrad. She told himhow the game was supposed to work. With some reluctance, she explained how they had been trapped and all that had followed. Almost all, anyway.

"This Heathcliff guy sounds like he was pretty important to you," Brandon said at one point, trying for a neutral tone. He didn't, he reasoned, have any right to be jealous.

"He was," Bloom nodded, taking a moment to suppress the flash of anger she felt at the thought of him. "He called me his most loyal lieutenant, and I was definitely that. I took on all manner of dangerous missions for him and our guild. Led the charge more often than I can actually remember. He was the one who named me Tyger." She shuddered at the thought, unable to suppress the reaction.

"What's wrong?" Brandon asked putting an arm around her. Growing concerned over her odd behavior. It was an incredible story, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. All he knew was that those experiences had hurt Bloom terribly.

"It's just that…all the time I was there; I was never really sure how I was going to survive. At some point, I decided I had to be strong, cold, ruthless. I couldn't get close to people because they kept dying around me." She paused and looked at the ground. "Yui described it as armor I put on to protect myself. It was Heathcliff that named that armor…named me." She shook her head, growing a bit frustrated. "It's kind of confusing." Brandon was definitely confused, but he didn't interrupt, realizing that this was very important to her.

She went on to tell him about floor 75 and the battle in which they'd lost so many. She told him about the despair they'd felt at the idea of another 25 levels. Finally, she told him about the betrayal they'd discovered. Brandon listened gravely to her tale, clenching his fists in anger at times, but not interrupting her.

"That was a horrible thing to live through," he said finally, shaken by the idea that someone could deliberately wreak that kind of misery, "but you did live through it. You're strong, Bloom. I've known that since the day we met."

"I'm not strong," Bloom demurred. "Tyger is strong." She could see the statement confused him and started to tell him about the events of the last few days and the previous night. She told him about the monster and recounted her nightmare. "I think I probably woke the whole school with my screaming," she admitted, still embarrassed by her reaction.

"It was a nightmare gargoyle," he shook his head. "It's what they do. I've read about them for Creatures class. They take what you're most afraid of, your worst memory and they amplify its effect on you. Then, they feed on your magic as you react to the dream."

Bloom nodded, accepting the reassurance and continued her tale. Brandon looked dumbstruck when she told him about Skull Reaper. "It was supposed to make me look like a giant monster, an illusion to hold its attention while the others escaped." She grimaced at the memory. "Didn't work quite as I expected."

For a moment, he didn't say anything, not sure what to make of her story. "That's… wow. Never heard of a spell like that."

"Faragonda told me not to use any more of the Alfheim spells. Which is fine, given that they never work quite the way I expect them to." She frowned thoughtfully. "She seemed more freaked out by where I got the spell than the spell itself." Bloom shrugged off the odd realization and moved on. "The girls were really freaked out by Skull Reaper, not that I can blame them," she admitted, glancing at the ground. "I've fought the damn thing."

"Are they… still freaked out?"

"No. They got over it pretty quick, but even after Skull Reaper vanished, the spell didn't end." Reluctantly, wondering if she'd made a mistake given the look on Brandon's face, she described her encounter with Kayaba and the explanations that had followed. When done, she sat back and regarded him gravely. "I wanted you to know," she said. "Partly because I knew rumors would start up and partly because…well… I trust you, and I wanted your help with this."

"With…Tyger you mean?" he ventured, uncertain.

"She's not another person," Bloom sighed. "I know that, and I've no wish to let her become one." She paused, rerunning that statement in her head. "Does that sound as strange to you as it does to me?"

"Probably more so," he admitted. He sounded reluctant, and she couldn't really blame him. She'd be lucky if he didn't avoid her like a plague after learning all of this.

"I'm asking too much," she realized. "I shouldn't have pushed it. We've barely had a proper date, after all."

"That's not it," Brandon interrupted. "I'll be happy to help. I'm not sure how, but I'll help if I can." He hesitated. "It's just that there are things about me I haven't told you. I, um, don't really want to go into it right now. The reasons will probably sound selfish."

"There're still things you don't know about me," Bloom admitted. "Important things I'm not ready to talk to anyone about. I'll try to be understanding when you're ready to tell me."

"I appreciate that," Brandon nodded with a relieved smile. "Whatever you need from me, just ask."


	18. Royal Secrets

CH. 18 Royal Secrets

Brandon, Bloom realized, was ducking her. It had been almost two weeks since the incident with the nightmare gargoyle, and things had gone really well between them, but suddenly he was too busy to talk to her, and he seemed to want her nowhere near the event taking place at Red Fountain. It wasn't her only problem, granted. She'd been ducking Faragonda since that night, not wanting to answer the questions she knew the Headmistress had. The fact that the woman was keeping things from her didn't help. Excuses had worked so far, and Faragonda seemed willing to give her some space, but she'd force the issue sooner or later.

 _One problem at a time_ , Bloom decided.

"So what is the Day of the Royals, anyway?" Bloom asked Stella, while brushing some odd green concoction of Flora's into her friend's hair. It stood to reason that the princess of Solaria would know.

"Every year, Red Fountain plays host to the royal family of Eraklyon. They put on a great show for them. This year, Sky's parents are coming." She frowned. "Come to think of it, Sky hasn't asked me to come either."

"I could understand Brandon pulling away from me." Bloom frowned, as she finished applying the potion, "but why wouldn't Sky invite you? I thought you two were getting serious?"

"I'm sure he's just been busy. They both have. The Day of the Royals is a huge deal for Red Fountain. Call Brandon, and talk to him."

"I don't know," Bloom sighed. "I don't want to seem needy or pushy."

"Just start with some other topic, like the weather and segue into dropping hints." Stella got up from her seat in front of the mirror and handed Bloom a cell-phone before heading for the bathroom.

"Where are you going? I need emotional support."

"I need to triple wash my hair."

"I can wait," Bloom said quickly as her friend started to close the door.

"Nuh-uh. Call him." The door closed behind her.

Bloom sighed and looked at the phone. "Right." She dialed his number and waited for his answer. After three rings, he did.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Brandon, how are you?"

"Good, just really busy."

"Been busy here, too. Shame on such a perfect day. I understand the weather is supposed to be clear and sunny all week. Should be perfect for that thing you have tomorrow at Red Fountain. What is that again?"

"Um, ah, the Day of the Royals. Listen Bloom, I-"

"Should be quite a show," she interrupted; cutting off what she expected would be an excuse. "I was-"

"BEEP!"

"Huh?" _Did he just say beep?_

"That's my call waiting," Brandon said quickly. "I better take this. Talk later." The line went dead.

Bloom set down the phone, and stared at the floor. That was unacceptable. If Brandon wanted to end things between them, he should have the nerve to say it to her face. She shied away from that thought, hoping there might be another explanation. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of one.

Stella emerged from the shower a few moments later. "Well? How did it go?"

"He beeped at me and hung up."

"Huh?" Stella asked, nonplussed. _He what?_

Bloom recounted the conversation. "How rude. I'll talk to Sky and clear this up." She picked up the phone and tried calling Sky. It went straight to voicemail. "Guess we'll have to do it the hard way."

"Sneak in?" Bloom asked. "We don't have invitations."

Stella smirked. "No problem."

They enlisted Techna to produce a detailed map of Red Fountain. After a short discussion on the pros and cons of sneaking in, they all agreed to go, for moral support if nothing else. Techna prepared the map and the girls decided what to wear to sneak around.

OOOOOOOOOO

Timmy watched Brandon pace, and listened patiently to his problem without comment. Brandon, Timmy had to admit, had gotten himself into quite a pickle. Bloom was going to be pissed. So was Stella, but that wasn't what was worrying his friend. It was time to focus him on the real problem.

"What am I going to do? Diaspro is here, but all I can think about is Bloom."

"The girl you've been lying to from day one?" Brandon winced. "The one who ripped the head off a nightmare gargoyle the last time she got mad?" Brandon blanched. "Yeah, you've got a problem."

"Any ideas?" He sounded almost plaintive.

"Yeah, get out of town as fast as you can."

Brandon scowled. "Not funny, Timmy."

"How do you feel about Diaspro?" Timmy asked, surprising Brandon.

"I…It's an arranged marriage. I don't really feel anything for her. I like her well enough, but…"

"But there's Bloom," Timmy finished. He then looked thoughtful. "Can you be forced to marry Diaspro?"

"I guess not." Brandon allowed.

"Then, maybe," Timmy suggested, "you should concentrate on fixing things with Bloom."

"Why would you want to?" Brandon and Timmy turned to stare at the source of the voice. Riven stood in the door to their dorm-room looking as sullen as they'd ever seen him. "Why all the drama over some crazy chick with a lethal temper?"

"Given the way you treat women?" Brandon gritted, holding onto his temper with an effort. "You wouldn't understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Riven snapped, his own formidable temper flaring.

"It means you treat Musa like a convenience. She likes you, don't ask me why, and you take advantage of that when it suits you and treat her like she doesn't exist the rest of the time."

"So you're saying you like Musa now?" Riven asked with a raised eyebrow, but no real interest in his voice. "Does Bloom kno-OOF!" He doubled over and staggered back, barely avoiding the haymaker aimed at his head.

"Just shut up about Bloom!" Brandon practically snarled. Riven tackled him to the ground and began punching him. Sky and Timmy quickly jumped in to pull him off.

"Are you nuts?" Sky demanded of them both. "What's this about?" Neither boy answered, simply glaring sullenly at one another. "You okay, Brandon? Riven?"

"Fine," both grunted.

"Boys." The headmaster's voice interrupted the faceoff. "Tomorrow is a big day for Red Fountain. We have many important guests and need to make a good impression. Decorum is essential. Do not attempt to settle this on the field. Understood?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Brandon answered promptly.

Riven scowled, but agreed. 

OOOOOOOOOO

"Can I see your invitations?" A freshman Red Fountain student confronted them as they tried to sneak in to the stadium from the woods behind the school.

"Sure," Bloom answered and snapped her fingers. "Napus." The student slumped to the ground and began to snore.

"Nicely done," Techna said as they pushed on.

The five girls managed to enter without anyone else noticing them before separating. Bloom headed toward the dorms to try and find Brandon while the others sought a vantage point to watch the competition. They found a door in a deserted corridor and opened it enough to see what was happening on the field below while not attracting attention, and settled to watch the show.

First, came a display of levibike handling. The riders reached dangerous speeds within seconds, performing hairpin turns and generally showing off for the crowd. Similar events followed. Jousting, which the participants, Techna noted, seemed to take personally was followed by dragon wrangling, which was where things really went wrong.

OOOOOOOOOO

Bloom hurried down the corridor, scanning for Brandon in hopes of catching him before the show began. Rounding a corner, she collided with a blond girl and both went down.

"You clumsy idiot!" the blonde seethed, sitting up. "You ruined my entrance!" Bloom sat up as well and started to apologize, but her eyes were drawn to the holograph of Brandon the other girl had dropped.

"What are you doing with a holo of Brandon?"

"Who do you think you are? How dare you question me? Stupid peasant. I'll have you fired faster than you can say 'I'm sorry your highness.' And I absolutely forbid you to look at my fiancé."

"Fiancé?" Bloom's eyes narrowed as the blonde climbed to her feet, glaring at Bloom, then turned away in a huff and headed toward the royal box.

"What a total loser."

"Icy," Bloom growled, rising and glaring after the disguised witch. The tone, the phrase, the attitude; no illusion spell could hide that. She didn't know what Icy had in mind for her boyfriend, but she wasn't about to allow it to happen.

Following at a discrete distance, she saw Icy take her place in the royal box next to the king and queen of Eraklyon. _That can't be good_ , Bloom realized. _Gotta get her away from them_. She withdrew, found a pen and paper and wrote a quick note.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I have a message for the Princess," Bloom said passing the note to Diaspro.

The blonde sighed after reading it and said, "Teen Fairy wants an interview, excuse me." The king nodded without taking his eyes off the action on the field. "They probably want fashion tips for their readers," she added in a bored tone as they left the royal box, a guard moving right on her heels.

Bloom waited until they reached a deserted hall, before putting the guard to sleep and confronting the disguised witch. "You can drop the act, Icy. I know it's you."

"What are you talking about?" The blond demanded; then she sighed. "Not another crazy stalker fan."

"I don't know if you're trying to hurt Brandon or the Royal family or if you're just here to ruin the Day of the Royals, but I won't allow it."

"I don't know what you're babbling about, but you clearly need a lesson in proper behavior!" She transformed. Bloom followed suit.

"Nice impression of a fairy, Icy, but you know how this'll end. Every time you've tried something like this you've lost. Badly."

"We'll see who loses you pathetic wannabe!" Diaspro started throwing energy bolts at her, which the other dodged easily.

Bloom could feel the urge to cut loose and simply flatten the witch, but she resisted. Tyger would not hold back, and might well kill her. The thought, Bloom knew, should disturb her on many levels, but all she felt was a fierce eagerness to slap down the current threat. Hard. She resisted that urge, resisted Tyger, as best she could, even though it meant being on the defensive more than she liked.

She dodged and shielded herself when necessary while casting fairly weak but precisely targeted spells. It wasn't enough. "You put on a good show, but this is getting old. Give it up before I peel that illusion off with my bare hands."

Diaspro blanched. "You lunatic! I am precisely who I claim to be, Princess Diaspro, and despite what the tabloids say, I am not a witch." The jewels she surrounded herself with once again glowed and fired blasts of energy. The glow was adequate warning, and Bloom easily dodged. Her counter-attack slammed the other girl into the wall.

"Why do I have trouble believing you?" the apparent madwoman asked rhetorically, launching another attack that Diaspro barely avoided.

Crazy stalker, she might be, the blond princess decided, but it wasn't hampering her ability to fight. Quite the opposite. She needed to get some distance between them, and possibly get the help of someone who could get the crazy bitch off her back.

OOOOOOOOOO

Saladin was most unhappy. He had warned the boys about carrying their grudge onto the field, but that seemed to be precisely what they were doing. Their juvenile antics, he was sure, were not impressing the king. Tempted though he was, he wasn't going to intervene, yet. Their overly aggressive riding during the jousting was bad enough. Interrupting at this stage, when the dragons were about to be brought out, would only make matters worse. He only hoped they weren't foolish enough to involve the dragons in their argument.

That hope evaporated as the well-orchestrated display of dragon control turned into a duel using the beasts as weapons. The crowd started to flee the stands as the dragons broke free of the student wranglers and began to fight on their own. Codatorta immediately jumped in to restore control.

Saladin was moving to intervene personally when the ground within the arena buckled upwards and two winged figures shot into the air. The two were engaged in a fierce battle and didn't seem to take any note of the audience they'd acquired.

Saladin recognized Bloom at once, but he couldn't place the other. Whoever it was, either she was giving a good accounting of herself or Bloom was holding back, something that surprised the headmaster.

As he and what remained of the audience watched, Bloom conjured a shield to block a powerful attack and then caused that shield to stretch out into bolts of magical fire that destroyed the jewels orbiting the other girl. One last magical bolt sent the blond tumbling to the arena floor.

OOOOOOOOOO

Brandon saw Diaspro hit the ground hard and roll. He broke into a run to try and intercept Bloom before there could be any more violence. "Bloom, stop!" She turned to look at him as she landed nearby, hands glowing. He turned to look at his downed fiancé. "Diaspro, are you hurt?"

"Brandon? You know her?"

"Of course he knows me you deluded stalker! And his name isn't Brandon, it's Prince Sky of Eraklyon, and he's my fiancé."

Bloom stared incredulously at her and then at Brandon…Sky. _What the hell?_

"Squire!" Bloom looked around to see the young man she'd known as Sky race to kneel before the king for an impressive royal tirade.

"Bloom," Sky, as she now had to call him, approached. "Give me a chance to explain."

"You know," Bloom said slowly, eyes narrowing in growing anger. "I don't think I want to hear it." The backhand to the face either caught him completely by surprise or there was a lot more force to it than she'd intended, as Sky spun in place and went down hard.

The king, who hadn't finished yelling at the revealed Brandon, drew a sharp breath at the sight of his son going down. "Guards! Seize her."

Bloom had already turned her back on Sky and was walking toward the nearest exit from the arena. She didn't even turn around when she said, in a voice those who knew her realized was pure Tyger. "Try it. I dare you."

A group of guards moved instantly at the king's command, but Sky scrambled to his feet and got in their way. "Stop. Seriously guys, don't. Good royal guards are hard to find."

The men stopped at his command, but glanced at each other in confusion as he finished the statement. "Besides," he added sheepishly. "I kind of had that coming."

OOOOOOOOOO

"I find I don't really care," Bloom said as Faragonda pronounced the girls' punishment. She'd been alternating between moping over the loss of her boyfriend and fuming over his deception ever since she'd stormed out of the arena. At the moment, moping was winning out.

"Perhaps a more stringent punishment will get your attention," Griselda offered, glaring at Bloom.

"Do what you like," the redhead sighed and turned to leave the office without permission. Faragonda raised a hand as her head of discipline drew breath to shout after her.

"Let her go," the headmistress sighed. "She's too upset right now to take notice."

OOOOOOOOOO

"Why are you defending that crazy girl?" Diaspro demanded.

"I'm rather confused myself, Sky," his father said, sitting back in his chair in the royal family's chambers at Red Fountain. It was a fairly ordinary chair, but Eraklyon's king still managed to make it look like a throne. "You say you and Brandon switched identities. I suppose I can see the reasoning."

"I can't," Diaspro huffed. "Why would anyone want to be mistaken for a commoner?"

"Diaspro, please," the king sent her a quelling look. "What I don't understand is how this Bloom became involved and why she reacted so violently towards Diaspro and then you."

Sky sighed and glanced about at the other specialists and Headmaster Saladin who were in attendance. "That's…complicated." He explained how he had met Bloom and how he'd felt drawn to her. Sky risked a glance at his fiancé, expecting her to look hurt or betrayed. She didn't. She looked angry, though who she was angrier with was something he didn't care to try to guess at. He turned back to his father, and explained how he had been introduced to her as Brandon.

"And you never bothered to tell her the truth," the king concluded. "You let her find out in a painful and publicly humiliating way."

"Yes," Sky admitted. "I did."

"So you've been running around on me with some crazy stalker?" Diaspro demanded. Sky started to protest, but she cut him off. "Yes you were, and yes, she's crazy. She kept calling me Icy and threatening to tear my face off!"

"She thought you were Icy?" Sky paled at the thought. "I...I really am sorry, Diaspro. I can't help how I feel, but I never meant to put you in danger."

"She's the one who was in danger," the princess snorted. "She's lucky I didn't clip her wings."

Riven snorted derisively. This, he reminded himself, was why he didn't like royalty in general. Vain, arrogant, and useless, most of them, he'd realized a long time ago. "She thought you were a disguised witch that's been trying to kill her. She could have killed you."

The king cut off Diaspro's incipient tirade with a question. "Why would this girl think Diaspro was a disguised witch?"

Sky stepped in before Riven could ask the king if he'd met Diaspro. "I would guess it was something in your words or your manner that reminded her of Icy. One of Icy's sisters has a gift for illusion. They have impersonated important people before in order to get close to their target. Bloom probably thought you were a threat to the king and queen."

"Be that as it may," his father sighed, "she still attacked Diaspro and you."

"Her attack on me isn't important," Sky shook his head.

"Is her wanting to rip my face off important?" Diaspro asked sarcastically.

Sky repressed a sigh. He didn't know what he could do to get her to put this behind her without causing any trouble for Bloom. "Boom isn't crazy," Sky said. "A little paranoid perhaps, but she's got every right to be, given the way the witches have been after her. She may have overreacted, but her intentions were good."

Diaspro considered for a moment, and a calculating look crossed her face. "I'll let it go," she agreed, "if-"

"Thank you, Diaspro," the queen interrupted. "It is important for royalty to set good examples by being magnanimous when things go wrong." Diaspro shut up as the queen praised her restraint and compassion. She rather thought the queen anticipated the ultimatum she was about to give Sky, and fumed over the carefully timed interruption.

"Thank you, Diaspro," Sky nodded, "for your understanding."

Thanks to long practice, Diaspro carefully concealed her emotions and nodded cordially, taking refuge with royal formalities, frustrating though the situation was. She could see her hopes and plans for Sky and their future together crumbling. That had to be stopped. She would have to spend some time thinking on it, but Bloom would not find her way onto Eraklyon's throne. That was _her_ place.


	19. You Can't Go Home Again or Shouldn't

See Ch. 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 19 You Can't Go Home Again or Shouldn't

Bloom finished her packing in the dead of night. She didn't want her friends trying to talk her out of leaving. They probably could. They might even make such a fuss that Griselda and Faragonda got wind of it, though, she knew the girls wouldn't do that intentionally. Still, best just to leave a note for them and slip out quietly.

She certainly couldn't stay, not after what had happened with…whoever he was. A voice at the back of her mind whispered she was being unfair, but she quashed it and set out for the transport station.

OOOOOOOOOO

Magix ever reliable magical transit system soon deposited her on a familiar street corner in Gardenia. Orienting herself, she headed for home. She knew her parents would be surprised to have her back, and she wasn't looking forward to telling them why she was there. There was so much they didn't know; hadn't wanted to know. She didn't blame them for that. They'd tried to give her back her old life and restore a sense of normalcy. They'd done the best they could, trying to help her forget and move on. It wasn't their fault; she told herself, that she couldn't let it go.

Bloom stood on the front porch for a moment, gathering her thoughts, before she let herself into the house. It was Sunday, so her parents were home, though she knew her father would be heading to work later that day. "Mom? Dad?"

"Bloom? What are you doing home?" Her mother came in from the kitchen. Her father came down the stairs, dressed for work, minus his firefighter gear.

"Bloom? Hey, honey."

"Hi, dad," Bloom smiled at him. "I… It's kind of a long story."

"Well, come sit down and tell us," her mother smiled, curious and a little worried but wanting to be supportive. "Did something happen at Alfea?"

"Oh, yeah," Bloom snorted. "You could say that." She sat down on the couch between her parents and braced herself. This was not going to be easy. She decided to start slow. The rest could come later, if at all. "There was this guy…"

OOOOOOOOOO

It took time, but the whole thing came out eventually, even the parts about SAO, which she'd been so reluctant to tell them about.

"You should have told us," her mother sighed, hugging her daughter. "We could have gotten you help."

"I'm getting help," Bloom promised. "Yui has been helping me with the memories. I've got good friends, and I've got you. That helps more than you could know. After what happened with Brandon…Sky… whatever…, I needed some time away." She looked down, reminding herself she'd decided to be honest. "I don't know if I can go back. Ms. Faragonda may not invite me back. I went to Red Fountain to find out where I stood with him, but I wound up in a knock-down-drag-out with his fiancé in front of a huge crowd."

Her mother winced. "That's a problem. I understand why you came back, honey, but running away from your problem isn't going to help."

"Can't I run away for a little while?" She didn't whine. Really.

"Of course, sweetie," her mother chuckled, squeezing her tighter. She glanced at her husband who gave a weary smile and nodded his agreement. Of course, Bloom would always be welcomed home.

"You told them all about SAO, then?" her father asked.

"Not…all of it," she admitted. "I left out a lot of details they wouldn't want to know about." That was true enough, and telling her parents about Laughing Coffin wasn't even an option. They'd never understand, and she couldn't bear the way they'd look at her.

"I'm sorry, honey," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, knowing full well that Bloom had glossed over parts of her time there with them as well. Neither he nor his wife had pressed, and he was only beginning to realize what a mistake that had been. "I handled this badly. I should have known you were hurting."

"It's okay, daddy. We all wanted life to go back to normal, to be like it never happened. Just didn't work."

"Can you tell us about it now?" her mother asked.

They spent the rest of the afternoon, till her father had to leave for work, sharing the couch and listening to Bloom's tales of Aincrad and the friends she'd made and lost there. She told them about the dream that the nightmare gargoyle had given her, and about the friends who had died in the final battle.

After an emotionally exhausting afternoon, her parents left her to sleep on the couch, while her mother tended to dinner for them and her father went to work. She woke to the smell of roast beef. Heading into the kitchen, she found her mother putting the finishing touches on dinner.

Vanessa smiled to see her daughter up and around. "Be ready in a bit, honey. Would you set the table?"

"Sure mom." Bloom fetched plates, glasses, and silverware for the two of them, and then went back for the napkins. Her mother carried the platter with the food in and went back for the salad she'd prepared. When they sat down to dinner, they deliberately kept the conversation light. There'd been enough talk of painful memories for a while.

OOOOOOOOOO

Over the next couple of days, they tried to get back to normal. Bloom helped out in the flower shop her mother owned and took up her old household chores. Bloom could tell by their auras that her parents were conflicted. They were happy to have her home, but they knew that she was running away from her troubles, and that disappointed them.

Bloom still didn't know what to do, though. Her anger at Sky had faded a bit; she wasn't angry over him keeping a secret. She had plenty of her own after all. And she admitted that what happened with Diaspro had been entirely her fault, but it seemed a reasonable conclusion, given the evidence she had at the time.

She shook off that thought, knowing it was an excuse. It wouldn't have happened at all, though, if Sky had told her the truth. Instead, he had put her off. He made her think he had changed his mind about her. That had hurt, but it was still no excuse.

Deciding she needed some air to clear her head, Bloom took her bike and rode away from the house. It was late, so there wasn't much traffic. That would mean there wasn't much chance of meeting anyone, which, at the moment, suited her fine. She rode for three blocks north before turning, without really thinking about it. She'd ridden another block before she realized it was the route to her mother's shop. She shrugged when she remembered. It was as good a destination as any. She followed the route without giving it another thought, arriving at the shop about 10 minutes later.

She stopped her pedaling and looked around. There were few cars in sight and very little foot traffic. After thinking for a moment, she concluded that there was nowhere else she wanted to go. Reversing course, she headed home. She'd barely gone a block when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she veered to the right, just in time to avoid a lightning bolt, courtesy of Stormy.

Abandoning her bike, Bloom began to dodge while throwing fireballs at the airborne witch. She needed a moment to transform, but Stormy clearly wasn't going to give her one. Bloom wasn't entirely sure she could, given that Faragonda had limited her power after the incident at Red Fountain. She had to try, though. Her spells, at the moment, didn't seem any weaker.

She tossed a larger than normal fireball that detonated in front of Stormy, blinding the witch for a moment, and used an illusion spell to send copies of herself running in all directions while she ducked out of sight under a parked truck. As she'd hoped, the witch took off after one of the illusions.

When the coast was clear, Bloom emerged, only to find Darcy floating above her. "Cute. Did you really think you could fool a mistress of illusion?"

"Worth a shot," Bloom shrugged before spitting a fairly weak fire ball at her and running. She still needed a little breathing room. Getting some distance and a few walls between them should help.

"You need to stop fighting and just give us what we want," Darcy called, still right on her heels. "Best for you and definitely best for your parents." Bloom froze and spun to face her. "Icy's keeping them company, right now. Give us the Dragon's Fire and we won't have any need to hurt any of you."

Bloom stared coldly at the witch for a second and then let her shoulders drop. Darcy smiled victoriously and then screamed as fire washed over her. Barely managing to shield herself, the witch needed a moment to recover and blink the spots out of her eyes. By the time she'd done that, Bloom was gone.

Bloom made for home as fast as she could fly. The streets and houses and shops of Gardenia passed below her in a blur, as she hoped that Darcy had been bluffing. She already knew, though, that it wasn't a bluff. Taking her family hostage was just the sort of thing Icy would do, thinking that she would be safe once she had the Dragon's Fire.

I'll just have to see about that. She arrived home only a moment later and burst through the door. Darcy hadn't been bluffing. Icy had her parents suspended in mid-air, bound with the same bands of energy that they had used on Stella. They were hovering over some kind of vortex.

"Glad you could make it," Icy sneered. "Now hand over the Dragon's Fire before I toss mommy and daddy down the vortex to oblivion."

"Put them down, Icy, or else."

"You want them down?" Icy mocked. "I'll be happy to drop them. If you don't give us what's rightfully ours!"

"And what would that be?" Bloom asked to buy time while she tried to think of a safe way to rescue her parents.

"The Dragon's Fire!" Stormy shouted as she came through door behind Bloom, cutting off her retreat and doing her best to frighten or at least startle the fairly who had given them so much trouble. Keeping her off balance, without time to think and plan, was key to their strategy. "Hand it over!"

"Our coven has searched for it for centuries," Icy continued. "When they tracked the last remnant to Domino, they wrecked the entire planet, but still lost it. The guardian of the Dragon's Fire, that nymph Daphne, hid the flame-"

"Inside the heir to Domino's throne," Bloom interrupted.

"Inside you," Icy confirmed. "We had no way of knowing where she'd hidden you. Who would have guessed your big sister would hide you on a backwater like Earth?"

"I appreciate the confirmation," Bloom said, glaring at the witch. "Not enough, though, to let you walk out of here alive if you hurt them." She could practically feel Tyger pushing her way to the fore and Bloom welcomed it.

"Don't make threats you can't follow through on," Stormy snorted. "We know your magic has been suppressed. You're at half strength or less. It was all over the chat rooms"

"You really shouldn't believe everything you read online," the redhead answered, her tone level. "That can get you into all kinds of trouble."

"I like trouble," Icy grinned. "You really going to risk your parents?"

"Just give us what we want," Stormy advised. "We'll have no reason to harm them or you then. You can go back to your quiet life here on Earth and not worry about anything else."

"Witch's honor," Darcy offered.

"Witch's what?" Bloom laughed.

Darcy pouted, but Icy rolled her eyes. "Okay, yeah, that was pretty funny." She gestured with one hand, causing Bloom's parents to bob in the air over the vortex. "Give us the Dragon's Fire! Now!"

Bloom was in motion before the last word was out of Icy's mouth. She flew at her parents, tackling them away from the vortex before spinning and launching a wave of fire at the Trix. The three shielded themselves without effort.

"You really are weak," Stormy scoffed, growing more confident. She created a gale that threw Bloom and her parents against the wall. Icy took advantage of the situation to freeze her in place. A single gesture deposited Mike and Vanessa in a corner across the room in an unconscious heap.

Bloom struggled in vain against her bonds, but couldn't budge or summon enough magic to free herself. Icy smirked, clearly enjoying seeing her helpless. "Let's get on with it sisters! Summon your crystals!"

All three focused, causing three slender crystals to appear and hover between their hands. The three crystals moved through the air at the trio's silent command and stopped in formation near the struggling Bloom. They began to pulse in time with the Trix spell as the witches' incanted.

Bloom groaned as she felt the fire literally being sucked out of her. It was over soon, and to Bloom's surprise they didn't kill her or her parents. The three witches wasted only a little time mocking her and describing what they intended to do with the stolen fire before teleporting away. Bloom struggled all the harder against the ice at the mention of the magical army they wanted to raise. Trying to hold on to consciousness was a losing battle, though, until Stella arrived.

The fairy of the sun and the moon quickly conjured her staff and freed her from the ice with a magical sunbeam. "What happened?" her friend demanded as Bloom rubbed her arms to restore the circulation, and her mother fetched a blanket to help with the chill. Vanessa and Mike were still groggy, but they were determined to try and help her.

"The Trix," Bloom bit out, angry over her failure. "They took the Dragon's Fire. I couldn't stop them." Her mother settled her on a couch and tried to wrap her in a blanket, but Bloom was too agitated to sit still and be fussed over. She described her encounter with the witches to Stella, who looked uncharacteristically grim. "I don't even want to think about what they might do with it. We have to get back to Alfea."

Stella nodded "The sooner the better." She turned to face Bloom's parents. "We have to get back. Need to tell Faragonda what happened."

"O-of course," Vanessa relented after thinking hard for a few seconds, trying to come up with some way to keep her daughter home and safe. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I'll try, mom." With that, the two vanished in a burst of sunlight.


	20. Back to Alfea

See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 20 Back to Alfea

Stella led the way into their apartment, leaving the lights out and moving quietly. Given the hour, she reasoned, the other girls were likely still asleep. It wasn't long, though, before all of their friends had rushed out to greet the returning Bloom. All of them had questions, but they tried to let her settle first so she could tell the story herself. Mostly, they were just glad to have her back.

They were not to enjoy their reunion long, unfortunately. Griselda appeared at the door only a few moments later and instructed Bloom to follow her to Faragonda's office. The redheaded fairy repressed a sigh and obeyed. This was not a meeting she was looking forward to, as she'd known for some time that Alfea's headmistress was hiding things from her, and confronting the formidable old fairy about that promised to be difficult.

 _Still_ , Bloom thought, _it has to be done. Might as well get it over with_. Firming her resolve, she matched Griselda's pace, even though she was still strongly tempted to dawdle and put it off a bit longer.

At such an early hour, the corridors were empty, so Bloom didn't have to weather any curious looks other students might send her way. The school was just beginning to stir when the two of them reached the door to Faragonda's office. She entered, not in the least surprised to find the headmistress up at such an early hour, and looking as calm and composed as ever.

Bloom was happy to delay the conversation while Griselda made tea. It gave her time to organize her thoughts. The head of discipline set a cup before her a moment later and she put off the conversation a bit longer by drinking. Finally, she set it aside.

"Would you tell me what's going on, Bloom?" Faragonda asked kindly, getting straight to the point. It was the same tone she always used when addressing students she wanted willing cooperation from, Bloom reflected. She nodded, knowing the woman actually believed she was doing the right thing for her students.

"I went home," Bloom began. "I needed some time to think." She paused to take a deep breath. "About whether I belong here."

"What?" Faragonda looked startled at this. Whatever she had expected her most unusual and often most frustrating student to say, it hadn't been that.

"I went home to spend a little time with my parents. I needed to sort through some things. That's where the three witches caught up with me and took the Dragon's Fire." _Might as well get straight to the point_.

"Witches?" Faragonda asked, looking alarmed. Whatever the headmistress had been expecting, it clearly wasn't that.

"Icy, Darcy, and Stormy. They knew more about me than I did. They knew I had it and why. Knew I was the last daughter of the royal family of Domino."

Faragonda sighed and opened her mouth, but Bloom cut her off.

"And so did you." Faragonda closed her mouth, her expression pained. "How long have you known?" Her tone grew a sharp edge, and she met the older woman's eyes, almost daring her to deny it.

"I've suspected for a while," Faragonda admitted. "I've always believed that the truth comes to us when we're ready to hear it. How did you find out?"

"I found some books in the library that helped me put it together," Bloom said, holding onto her temper with an effort. There was really no point in confronting the headmistress about the, now missing, volumes. "All I got tonight was confirmation, a few missing details, and a case of frostbite. The witches now have the Dragon's Fire, and I doubt they're planning to do anything good with it."

"No," Faragonda said, rising and turning to face her office window, thinking hard. "Indeed not. I wish you'd come to me with your doubts, Bloom."

"I wish you'd been straight with me when I gave you the chance," Bloom returned hotly. "How was I supposed to come to you with questions about the very thing you've been working to keep hidden from me?" She reined in her temper with an effort. "None of that really matters now. What are we going to do? They said they would use the Dragon's Fire to raise some magical army."

"What army? Not the Army of Decay?" Faragonda asked, turning back toward Bloom and looking slightly pale. Bloom nodded and the headmistress slumped back into her chair, thinking hard. "I'm not sure." She admitted after a moment. "I'll contact Saladin and Griffin. All of the schools need to be prepared. That is likely where they will start. The schools will be the center of any resistance, and they are Magix' best hope."

Bloom nodded. "And what do I do? I don't have any magic left. I can fight, but that won't be much help against the army they mentioned."

"There may be a way." The headmistress admitted reluctantly, as if hesitant to bring it up. She silently considered the mater for a few moments as Bloom waited impatiently. "It may be possible to reignite the Dragon's Fire within you, but it will be very dangerous and it is too soon for desperate measures."

"How?" Bloom asked, meeting Faragonda's eyes. It was clear to the older fairy that Tyger wouldn't be put off or dismissed, and she had little doubt that that was who she was dealing with. "I fought an army once," her student told her, thinking back to the mission with Kirito and Leafa to rescue Asuna. "One that was literally endless. We got through it by having a specific goal and treating the army as what it was; a distraction. We need to deal with the source of the problem, but as long as the Trix have the Dragon's Fire and we have nothing to match that power, an assault on them would be suicide."

The headmistress relented, knowing that that much was true, and explained. "Domino, the world of your birth, was, according to legend, the place the Great Dragon rested after creating the magical universe. If there is anywhere in creation that embers of its power may be found, it is there. If you and the other girls go to Domino, you may be able to find those embers and use them to relight your own fire."

"I don't have a better plan," Bloom admitted after a moment's thought, realizing that it was indeed a longshot. "How do I get there?"

"For now, you don't." Faragonda shook her head. "It's very dangerous, and we need to find out what the Trix plan to do first, but I will have professor Palladium start making preparations."

Bloom nodded reluctantly, knowing that that was likely the best she could hope for, and that there was nothing else she could currently do. It grated, though, and she felt a burning need to do something.

"Good." Faragonda sat back. "I'll speak to Palladium at once. Griselda," she glanced at her deputy, "will begin organizing defensive and evacuation plans." Griselda nodded and left to begin. "You have classwork to catch up on. This is still a school, after all."

"Okay," Bloom conceded, trying to be patient. She got up and turned to leave the office, fairly certain that letting the headmistress know how little she trusted her judgement wouldn't accomplish anything.

On her way back to the dorm, Yui surprised her by appearing at her shoulder. "Bloom! I'm so glad you're back. I was worried."

"Sorry, Yui. I had some things to sort through after what happened at Red Fountain."

"I heard," Yui nodded solemnly. "I wish you'd talked to me about it before leaving."

"I just needed some time with my folks." Bloom grimaced at the memory. "That didn't work out so well."

"What do you mean?" Yui asked, concerned but not wanting to read into Bloom's reaction. That was a human failing she didn't wish to pick up.

"I'll tell you when I tell the other girls. Come on." She shelved questions about how Yui was flying free in the corridor for later.

She entered the dorm a moment later, Yui flying effortlessly beside her. Preempting the questions she knew they would have, she had everyone sit down. With surprisingly few interruptions, she brought her friends up to speed, telling them of her trip to Gardenia and her encounter with the Trix. They exploded with questions after that, but Bloom waved them to silence and gave them the highlights of her conversation with the headmistress and the rough plan that was hopefully in the works.

The enormity of what had happened took a little time to sink in, but they shoved aside their shock and started discussing their options. As risky as the plan was, the girls were optimistic that they could meet any challenge.

Bloom had seen that kind of enthusiasm in SAO. It usually preceded violent deaths. She refrained from cautioning them, though, suspecting it would be counterproductive. Instead, she focused them on what they could do to prepare for the battle she knew was coming and for the mission to Domino that she hoped Faragonda wouldn't delay for too long.

There was little they could do to prepare for the coming attack other than brush up on offensive and defensive spells, so they made plans to practice in the school's combat magic classroom after hours. It was a place spelled to resist most violent magic, at least any that students were likely to throw around. Bloom decided to carry her sword at all times from then on. The teachers might object, but she found she didn't care. She wasn't going to walk around unarmed under the circumstances.

At Yui's suggestion, while the others practiced their combat magic, she drilled with her blade, making sure that her skills and reflexes hadn't been taken away with her magic. They hadn't, but that made them both curious. The fact that she still could still wield a sword, something she'd never done before being trapped in Aincrad, said something about the nature of her skills. Bloom just wasn't sure what it was.

Techna did a search and found that any meaningful information on the Army of Decay was beyond their reach, either in the restricted section of Alfea's library or in Cloud Tower's own library. There were only vague references to it in Alfea's general collection, and none of them were comforting. They couldn't get at any other source to learn more, though.

Stella suggested asking permission to visit the restricted section, but Bloom shook her head. "I doubt they'd give us access to it. None of us really have the training to use what we might find there even if they did." The others agreed reluctantly and turned their attention to Domino.

There was lots of information on Domino. With Techna's guidance, Yui did a deep dive into the system and connected systems, quickly coming back with everything available. There was information on the planet's art, music, history, and culture, but that wasn't what interested them. It seemed that very few people had been to the planet since the Ancestral Witches, as the text called them, had laid waste to that world. There was only limited information about the conditions on the planet or the kind of threats visitors might face. All they found were references to Yeti-like creatures, giant birds, and things called ice spiders.

"So," Bloom noted. "Not a vacation wonderland."

Techna rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. "We will need some specialized gear to deal with the environment."

"I got the clothes covered," Stella assured them and waved her hands, altering her outfit to a colorful full body snowsuit that fit her like a glove and a pair of goggles to protect her eyes. She even managed to make the goggles look stylish.

'Very nice, Stella," Bloom complimented, meaning it and feeling better for her friend's antics. "That's clothes taken care of. We'll need other things, though. I have my sword and you guys have your magic, so we should be able to defend ourselves. "But we're going to need a way to get around. We'll need a map so we'll have some idea where we're going. Also basic camping supplies as we have no idea how long it will take, transportation, food, clean water, etc." She frowned. "Maybe climbing gear? We know so little about what Domino is like now. I know you guys can fly, but if the winds get too bad that might not be an option."

"All good points," Techna agreed. "Let's see what we can scrape together."

OOOOOOOOOO

It didn't take too long to gather things like rope, rations, and canteens. There were spells for purifying water, so none of them were too concerned about that. Techna assured them she could conjure vehicles when needed.

"What else could we need?" Bloom asked her friends. "The best map we could find shows Domino as it was and we can use that to get a GPS fix on the palace, which is likely where we'd find the Dragon's Fire."

"I think we're as prepared as we can be." Techna finished shutting down the dozen or so programs running searches and algorithms on her computer before logging out. "Our trip is planned and prepared for as best we're able. Personally, though, I'm hoping the outcome doesn't rest on this idea. It is going to be very dangerous."

The others agreed, but Bloom doubted they'd have a choice in the matter. She didn't bother saying so, though. Best just to wait and see what developed. They all suspected that the wait wouldn't be a long one.

In the meantime, she had agreed to spend some time with Yui, in what amounted to therapy sessions. Bloom wasn't sure how useful the sessions were, but their long talks on subjects ranging from Aincrad to Prince Sky to her adoptive parents, did give her a lot to think about. She found that her anger with Sky had faded. She was still angry with Faragonda, though, and Yui didn't try to persuade her that she shouldn't be.

"We all do what we do for basically the same reason, Bloom. We think it's a good idea at the time. Having the best of intentions doesn't make being wrong any less painful for us or the people around us."

"There doesn't seem much point in being angry with her." Bloom said after a moment's sullen thought, "but I'm still angry."

"You've a right to be." Yui shrugged. "She violated your trust. She screwed up. Intentions are irrelevant." She paused to regard Bloom curiously. "What are your intentions?"

Bloom fumed for a moment, thinking about how things might have gone differently if the head mistress had been truthful with her. Then she shook her head and sighed in resignation. "I don't have time for grudges, do I? What's done is done. Guess I just have to get over it so I can focus on our common problem. The Trix."

It wasn't till later that night, as she was settling in for bed, that Bloom realized what Yui had done. There was a momentary flash of anger, but it died and she allowed a smile. The little pixie was good.

OOOOOOOOOO

It didn't take long for the Trix to make their first move. Unsurprisingly, it was an attack on Alfea. About midmorning the day after they'd completed preparations for their trip, it began to rain. Bloom noticed at once that there was something wrong with the water. It was black.

As each drop struck the ground, it brought forth a small insect like thing. They were soon swarming the school, stinging and biting anyone they could get close to. Then it got worse. The small skittering things were joined by hulking monstrosities which would have looked down on Knut. Bloom joined the defense without hesitation. She did not have her magic, but she did have her sword and her brain. That was sufficient for the moment.

While others formed protective barriers to keep them out of the building, she moved among the larger creatures that breached the perimeter slashing and stabbing at the monsters, but each time she destroyed one, it would reform. The solution to this would have been easier with her magic, but it was still doable. Using a few chemicals that Flora had in their apartment for experimentation, she managed to create a line of fire to block the main entrance. It was sufficient to slow the smaller attackers but not hamper the students, many of whom could fly.

Her idea caught on, and similar barriers were soon established at all of the school's doors. It didn't stop the horde, but it did slow them down and make easier targets of them. Soon there were too many, and they smothered the fires with their numbers. Bloom rushed to the aid of another fairy that literally had her back to the wall, surrounded by the creatures.

She cut the legs from under one of the big ones, creating an opening while shoving her sword through the head of the one next to it. The girl nodded to Bloom and jumped over the fallen creature only to turn and attack the one Bloom had just stabbed.

"You might want to get clear," she called as Bloom yanked her blade free, doing as much damage as she could along the way. Then she jumped away. The fairy she had just rescued cast a spell that caused the wind to howl around the monsters, dropping the temperature radically. When it died down, they were all frozen in blocks of ice.

Bloom looked to the brunette fairy and nodded respectfully. "Nice."

She nodded, looking a bit haggard. "Yeah, but it takes a lot out of me."

Fortunately for the school, the attackers pulled back soon after that. The students and staff had managed to hold their own, barely. As soon as they were done with initial cleanup and treatment of the wounded, Bloom went to Faragonda.

"I don't think we can wait anymore." She had entered the office without knocking and spoken without preamble. Grizelda glared at her, but the headmistress silenced her with a gesture and quiet word.

"You're right. We can't. Get the girls together. I'll have Palladium finish his preparations."


	21. Welcome Home Bloom

See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 21 Welcome Home Bloom

"How exactly does a simulator get us to another planet?" Bloom regarded the magical reality chamber warily. Her last experience with the magical technology hadn't been fun.

"It is…complicated," Palladium answered. "We create a simulation of Domino here using an element of that world. Once part of a whole, always a part. It's a principle of magic that I believe scientists on Earth refer to as quantum entanglement."

"I've heard of that," Bloom admitted. "Don't pretend to understand it."

"It will get you to Domino safely. That's what is important at the moment." He finished making adjustments and turned to face them. "If you girls are ready?" He took in their cold weather gear and the packs they carried as well as the sword at Bloom's hip. "It seems you are."

"We planned as well as we could for this," Bloom nodded. "Nobody knows much about the current conditions on Domino."

"Unfortunately true." Palladium nodded. "We do know that much of the planet's surface is covered by ice. One of the things the ancestral witches did was to shroud the planet in a field that reflected most of the solar radiation from the planet. The temperature dropped, plunging the planet into an ice age. At that point, it was rather adding insult to injury, I think. It completely destroyed the ecosystem and prevented anyone else from ever settling on the planet."

He spent a few moments double-checking the systems and making adjustments, before opening the door to the chamber. "Good luck, girls." They nodded and entered the chamber, not wanting to waste any time. There was no way of knowing when the Trix would attack again.

The air rippled before them and began to swirl, forming a vortex. "The space bridge is ready. Good luck."

Bloom led the way through the portal, and after a moment of disorientation, stepped out into a frozen wasteland. The outfits Stella had conjured for them left very little skin uncovered, but the icy wind instantly chilled it and tried to rip their breath away. Clenching her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering, she focused on their goal.

"Techna, can you get a fix on the palace?"

"Yes. We're close." Techna carefully manipulated her computer, hunching her shoulders to block the wind. "It's about eight kilometers that way." She pointed to the east. "I'd best conjure the vehicles now. Even with our gear, we can't take this cold for long." She raised her hands and after a moment's concentration, five levibikes appeared. They looked like the same models the specialists had used in the race on the Day of the Rose.

"Nice," Bloom commented, looking them over. Then she turned her attention to the east. "Let's stick together. It looks like bad weather in that direction." They mounted the bikes and headed off, following Techna's directions. As expected, the weather grew quickly worse. The wind got stronger and the snow, which had been coming in flurries, began to fall more heavily. Visibility dropped quickly until they could barely see a few feet in front of them.

"We're close," Techna called over the wind as they crested a hill. "It's just over the next hill."

"Techna," Musa brought her bike up short, as did the others.

"What?" Techna asked, glancing up from her readings.

"That hill is moving!"

The hill rose on a pair of massive tree-like legs and turned to face them. It roared. "That must be the yeti-like creature the books mentioned," Bloom noted faintly. She stared numbly at the sheer size of the thing for a moment. It was huge. Far bigger than Skull Reaper. Worse. It was looking at them.

"Scatter!" Techna shouted. "Split its attention."

They each accelerated along a different vector, trying to confuse the creature, and it seemed to work for a few seconds. Then the thing raised fists the size of boulders and brought them crashing down, sending shockwaves through the ground. Bloom and Stella were thrown from their bikes and the others barely managed to hold on.

Seeing their friends down, possibly hurt; Flora, Techna, and Musa circled back and began hitting the creature with spells in the hope of distracting it. They succeeded in getting its attention, and leading it away from their friends, but they quickly realized that they weren't doing more than annoying the enormous beast.

Bloom had landed in a snow drift rather than on bare ice. She wasn't hurt, but it took her a moment to free herself. It took another few minutes to find Stella who had been buried when the drift she landed in had collapsed on top of her. A surge of warmth and light led Bloom to her friend and she was able to pull Stella from the rapidly melting snow with little effort.

"Thanks Bloom. Air was becoming an issue." She looked around to where the others were still fighting the yeti. "We need to put that thing down."

"I'm open to suggestions." Bloom studied their opponent. It was easily 25 feet tall and weighing as much as two tanks. The spells they were using weren't having any measurable effect. They needed to change tactics. "That thing is pretty heavy," she said thoughtfully. "Didn't Techna say there were fissures in the ice?"

"Yeah, she's been guiding us around them." Stella stopped as she realized what her friend had in mind. "Oh. That'll work. Let's get the bikes." Their rides were, fortunately, undamaged and just needed to be pulled out of the omnipresent snow drifts. Soon they were circling the creature with the others.

"Okay, guys," Bloom shouted to them. "New plan. Flora, Musa, Stella keep his attention." She came alongside Techna and they retreated a short distance while Bloom explained what she needed.

A few seconds later the two rejoined their friends with a new purpose. Stella used her light to blind the yeti and Flora conjured vines to bind its legs while they got some distance. The yeti freed itself and came after them soon enough, but they had enough time to find what they needed, an incipient fissure in the ice. It just needed a nudge.

They took position at Techna's direction and then waited till the yeti caught up with them. Stella flew up to blind the creature again, but it closed its eyes and lashed out blindly. Stella barely managed to avoid the beast's claws and redoubled her efforts, knowing she could affect him even through his eyelids. The other girls kept their eyes carefully averted so they weren't accidentally blinded.

The yeti lashed out blindly, following the light as it tried to smash the irritating fairy. Each step brought it closer to the weak spot in the ice that Techna had detected. Her sensors couldn't determine how deep the fissure ran, but between the creature's weight and the spell Musa was using to create a subsonic vibration in the ice, they were going to find out.

Only seconds later, the creature lunged at Stella one last time and stepped on the weakened area. A chasm yawned where none had been before, and the creature fell, yowling in panic, out of sight.

They could hear it moving at the bottom of the newly formed crevasse, and it sounded more angry than injured, but they reasoned it would take a while for it to climb out. Quickly reorienting themselves, they set off for the palace once more.

It took another hour, during which the weather cleared somewhat, to reach it, circling around various obstacles, but they eventually found a structure encased in ice. "Domino's royal palace." Bloom breathed as she stared at the place. It was barely visible beneath the ice. "Welcome home, Bloom."

Stella put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Bloom. This isn't a homecoming anyone deserves, least of all you. At least you didn't grow up here, ya know? Do you even remember this place?"

"Not really the point, Stella." Musa broke in. "There's nothing you can do for Domino, Bloom, but you're not alone. You have friends and family that need you."

"I know." Bloom nodded, shaking off her melancholy and focusing on the job at hand. _Thinking about what might have been never helped anyone_. "Let's get on with this. Is there a way in without chopping through the ice?"

"I believe so," Techna said after a moment of consulting her equipment. The scans she could perform were limited, but with patience and a little imagination, she could build a clear picture of the structure. "Ah. There is a fissure in the ice that comes close to what appears to be an underground chamber." She led the way around the east side of the palace until they reached the fissure. "This just needs a little work."

She spent a few minutes mapping the fissure and locating the stress points to be certain they wouldn't collapse it on top of themselves while trying to get in. At her direction, Flora used her vines to reinforce key areas before using her own magic to delete selected portions of the fissure wall. It wasn't an easy spell to use, not having been designed for that purpose, but it was far safer than melting or vibrating the ice. They hurried into the underground chamber before Flora's vines could give out.

"Looks like some kind of secret passage," Techna noted. "It must have been preserved when the palace above was frozen." The corridor stretched into darkness in both directions. "Let's look around. Logically, any place that might contain a remnant of the Dragon's Fire would be well protected. Perhaps in an underground chamber."

"I don't have any better ideas." Bloom shrugged and they picked a direction and started searching. The tunnels seemed to run under the entire palace, probably meant as a refuge in times of siege or some other crisis. There were rooms full of supplies, mostly ruined by time and cold. There were chambers that had once been luxurious; no doubt the royal family was expected to be comfortable regardless of the circumstances.

Stella offered to thaw out the palace, a start on returning it to its glory, but Bloom shook her head. "That thing is still out there. We do anything that big, it'll draw attention, and I'm betting there are more like him around." The others decided that remaining low profile was best after considering what would happen if they attracted a group of the yeti creatures.

After almost an hour of searching the underground corridors and rooms, they located what seemed to be the royal treasure room. At least, Bloom thought, there was a whole lot of bling in there.

Musa let out a low whistle as she scanned the room. "Looks like Bloom is richer than you, Stella."

"So I know who to go to if I'm ever strapped for cash." Stella chirped.

Bloom rolled her eyes. "Let's find what we're after and get out of here."

"You don't want to look around?" Stella asked her friend, a bit surprised.

"I don't remember this place." Bloom shook her head. "And I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Coming back would be a lot worse if I had grown up here and had fond memories of Domino and the royal palace. As it is…" She trailed off looking pensive and finally shook her head. "We've got a job to do. Let's do it and get out."

"I would hope you would want to learn more of your heritage." Bloom spun to face the speaker and found herself staring at the figure she'd first seen in her dreams. "Welcome home, little sister."

"Daphne." Bloom breathed, taken aback by her sister's appearance.

The others gaped at the apparition. Her big sister, Bloom reflected to herself, wasn't all there. She privately kicked herself at the thought. Humor, especially callous humor, had no place here. It had been a standard defense for some trapped in Aincrad, but not for her. It was still disturbing to see the way the glowing figure faded in and out of sight, her form transparent at the best of times.

"I am sorry to say that you will not find what you seek here, but I do have something to show you." She led the way through the room to a pedestal with a glass dome.

"That's the crown I saw in Lake Roccaluce." There was a beautifully crafted circlet of metal beneath the dome. Bloom stared at it. This was a piece of her history, apparently. Her birth family had had this made for her. Daphne had answers, and she seemed willing to share. _So why I am I so suspicious all of a sudden?_

"It is your crown, Bloom. You are the last princess of Domino."

"And apparently the last survivor," Bloom muttered morosely, watching her ghostly sister.

"Not so, Bloom." Daphne smiled. "There is still hope. Let me show you." She approached and gestured to the crown. "Pick it up."

Bloom raised the dome and took the crown in her hand. Suddenly she was inundated with images. It was almost like her first transition to a VR environment using the full dive rig. That made it familiar and terrifying all at the same time. She tensed involuntarily, searching her new surroundings for threats.

"You are safe here, Bloom," Daphne's voice assured her. "These are just memories. You do not face the same threats you did in Aincrad."

Bloom froze, surprised and uncertain. "You know about that?" Shen asked hesitantly.

"Yes, dear sister. And I am so proud of you."

"Then you obviously don't know everything," muttered the suddenly dejected redhead. _So much for the chance to make a good first impression on my birth family._

"You made hard choices," Daphne said sympathetically. "No one can hold that against you."

Bloom didn't answer for a moment. She'd never told anyone what really bothered her about some of the decisions she'd made. Finally, she threw caution to the winds and blurted out. "It's not what I did that I regret. It's the fact that I don't regret it."

Daphne considered this for a moment, regarding her sadly, and nodded. "I think I understand. We will have time, little sister, to talk about this. Right now, there is a crisis."

"And we need to deal with that first." Bloom nodded in agreement, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

"Yes. Watch."

The scene played out before Bloom. She saw the siege of Domino. She saw the fall. Daphne fled through the corridors carrying a wailing red-haired bundle. The image ducked down a side corridor, getting out of sight for a brief but critical moment before creating a vortex and pushing the infant Bloom through. She then closed it and ran on. It didn't take long for the ancestral witches to catch her. What they did when they overtook her wasn't pretty. Bloom did her best not to look away, feeling, oddly, that that would cheapen her sister's sacrifice.

"Mother and father, convinced they'd lost both their daughters and their kingdom went into exile to grieve. Even I don't know what became of them, but they are alive."

Bloom drew a deep breath, calming herself after that unpleasant scene. If she hadn't seen worse in Ancraid, she couldn't imagine how she would have reacted. "Then, when this business with the Trix is done, I'll find them."

Daphne's smile practically split her face. "I know you'll succeed. Hope is all I can give you, but you'll discover that it is all you need."

"Given that they have the Dragon's Fire and an endless, unstoppable army; I think I'd prefer a nuke."

Daphne chuckled. "You underestimate yourself, little sister. You have strength even you don't suspect. You will find a way; I know it."

"I will." Bloom agreed. "Apparently, I have no other options." She suppressed a wince, not having meant that to sound accusatory.

"You'll understand when the time comes," Daphne assured her. "All I can tell you now is that you haven't lost your magic. The Trix don't have the power to actually take the Dragon's Fire from you."

"Then all I have to do is figure out how to access it again?"

"You'll know how when you're ready."

"People are dying," Bloom bit out, growing angry.

"I can do nothing to prevent that," Daphne said regretfully. "I am bound by rules of magic just as you are, and just as the Trix are. Remembering that may give you the answers you need."

Bloom considered that for a moment and smiled. "Thank you."

The scene faded and Bloom found herself standing next to the pedestal holding the crown. She returned it to the pedestal and schooled her expression before turning to face her friends. "We have work to do."

"What happened, Bloom? You look… not sure. Happy?" Stella noted.

"Not quite, but I'm getting there. We're going back to Magix, make a few preparations. Then…We're paying the Trix a visit at Cloud Tower." She smiled confidently. "Time to upset their plans and put an end to this."

"Haven't seen you this upbeat in a while." Flora put an arm around her shoulders as they left the treasure room.

"I have an idea and the beginnings of a plan. This is going to take all of us, though. It's risky and it's not going to be easy."

"So let's get back to Alfea." Techna took out her computer and began trying to contact the school. There was no response. "We'll have to get outside. There is some kind of interference. It's possible the underground passages are shielded to prevent communication." They made their way to a staircase that led upwards. The fissure they'd used to enter the underground passages was too steep and too unstable to risk using as an exit.

"I think we're gonna need to melt a little ice to get out of here." Bloom examined the blocked passage. "Stella, if you would?"

The blond fairy took off her ring and transformed it. "It's going to get humid in here, girls. Mind your hair." She began melting the ice. Techna took readings on the stability of the tunnel she was creating to make sure it didn't collapse on them as they took the shortest path to the surface.

In a surprisingly short time, they broke through.

Only to find a battle underway. Sky, Timmy, Riven, and Brandon were engaged in a holding action against the yeti and what looked like several hundred wolf-sized spiders made out of ice. She recognized them from Techna's research on Domino, and knew they had the power to turn their victims to ice.

"Terrific," Bloom muttered. "We're being rescued."

"Let's help them out." The fairies that could transform did so and rushed to help the specialists. It didn't take long to get the spiders' attention. Techna cleared a path for the specialists using a spell to delete the spiders between them and the high ground that would give them best advantage. She shouted a warning to the young men not to let the things touch them.

Flora scattered seeds among the spiders that quickly grew into flowers like flytraps large enough to engulf them before vanishing with their prey. Stella melted whole groups of them at a time, but there always seemed to be more to take their place.

Bloom kept to the edges, using her sword to pick off those at the edge of the fight. The spiders seemed to literally be made of ice, and they shattered like ice when she struck them. Her skills with a blade, she noticed, seemed undiminished, and she wondered about that. It had never been entirely clear to her why she retained her fighting skills from SAO. She'd never brought it up to any of the teachers as that would have meant explaining SAO to begin with. Considering what Daphne had told her, though, talking to Palladium or Wizgiz, would be necessary. Later. At the moment, she needed to rescue Bran-… Sky. Whoever he was.

The prince of Eraklyon was being forced back toward the palace wall by a group of ice spiders. Although he fought valiantly, he was still losing ground. Bloom cut the hind legs from the nearest one, attracting the attention of the group attacking Sky. Two of them turned toward her, giving the recently revealed prince some much needed breathing room. The first to rush at Bloom was immediately struck down by a blow to a fissure that had formed in the thing's body. It fell apart. That left four between her and Sky. The one she had she had taken two legs from with her first blow was too slow to avoid being shattered completely by her next strike.

She moved around the remains, warry of the creature's inherent magic. Techna had warned them, but it was unclear if all the specialists had heard, based on the risks Sky was taking. Even as she moved to assist him, he was knocked to the ground, barely blocking the blow.

"No!" Bloom threw caution to the winds and leaped over the two remaining spiders in her path and bringing down her sword in the path of the spider nearest Sky. To her surprise, the sword burst into flame, vaporizing the threat. Then it promptly went out. Bloom was so surprised; she barely managed to avoid the lunge of the next one. Sky had regained his feet by then and finished the last two.

"More coming!" Stella shouted from above where she was trying to blind the giant snow beast.

"They seem endless," Techna shouted.

"We've already got an endless army to worry about." Bloom shouted to the others. "Let's get out of here!" The others, fairies and specialists alike, needed no additional convincing. They retreated into the palace underground to get some breathing room. They quickly made their way out of the tunnel, collapsing it behind them, and into what must have, at one time, been a grand entrance hall for the palace

"What are you doing here?" Bloom rounded on Sky. "And did you come in a ship?"

"We did. Red Fountain has been destroyed and we took shelter at Alfea. Palladium told us about your mission and created a portal for us. We couldn't find you so we just headed for the palace. Figured you'd come here sooner or later. Unfortunately-." The walls shook as the snow beast pounded on them.

"Right. Where's the ship?"

"Out there." Timmy pointed toward the door that was beginning to buckle.

"Perfect." Bloom looked around at her friends. "Back door?"

"It would take too long to find," Techna admitted, not even glancing at her virtual map of the palace, "but we can make one."

"Better reinforce the door first," Timmy called. "It won't hold much longer." A couple of quick spells saw to that and the group headed for the far side of the palace, away from the attacking monsters. It took a concerted effort to create and reinforce the tunnel they made.

Techna chose the spot. Stella melted the ice. Flora reinforced the tunnel so it wouldn't collapse on them. Musa hung back to keep an eye on the door the creature was trying to break down. It almost took more time than they had, but they broke through shortly before the main gate buckled.

As the spider things poured into the palace, the party carefully circled around, staying behind the hills and snow drifts to stay out of sight. There were a few ice spiders sniffing about the ship, but the ranged weapons Timmy and Riven carried dealt with them quickly without putting anyone else at risk.

"Everyone in," Timmy called as he hurried through the hatch and made for the pilot's seat to begin preparing for a hasty departure. They all piled in and secured themselves even as the ship began to rise.

"We've been noticed!" Timmy started to bank away from the giant snow beast. "Someone get on the weapons."

Sky grabbed the controls and fired a few quick bursts to dissuade the beast. The salvo only caused a momentary hesitation, but it was enough for the ship to get out of reach.

"We're clear," Timmy told them as the ship shot into the sky. "Time to head back to Alfea."

Once underway, Sky took a seat next to Bloom. "I wanted to apologize," he began. "That was not the way I wanted you to find out about me."

Bloom was silent a moment, but finally nodded. "I did promise to try to be understanding."

"I can't really blame you for reacting the way you did." Sky looked down. "My father was pretty angry over my actions, and rightfully blamed me for what happened. It isn't hard to understand how you concluded that Icy was disguised as Diaspro."

Bloom blushed at the memory and looked away briefly. After a moment, she looked back at Sky. "So… your fiancé."

"Not anymore." Sky shook his head.

"I'm…sorry?" Bloom's hesitation made Sky chuckle.

"Don't be. It was an arranged marriage. I can't be forced to marry her, and I'm pretty sure all she was interested in was Eraklyon's throne. The politics don't matter to me, and Eraklyon won't suffer for the loss of an alliance-by-marriage with her world."

"That's good to know." Bloom smiled. "I really am sorry for the trouble, Sky."

"I brought it on myself," he assured her. "I should have been honest with you from the start."

"Why were you using Brandon's name?" It was something she had been wondering about ever since her initial anger over the deception had faded. _Why would a prince want to be taken for a squire?_

"That's kind of hard to explain." Sky looked a bit embarrassed. "There's a lot of pressure in being royalty. People expect certain things of you. Behavior, outlook, attitude. All have to adhere to a certain standard. When I started at Red Fountain, I wanted to be free of that pressure. I wanted to see what it was like not to be a prince."

"Can't say I understand the pressures a prince is under." Bloom answered honestly. "I doubt I ever will, but you didn't mean any harm. I think circumstances… and poor choices from both of us led to that mess." She looked away. "I know about circumstances and bad choices."

"Can we put it behind us?" Sky asked. He knew he hadn't heard the worst of what had happened to her in SAO, and the hint she'd just dropped made his heart ache for her.

"Yeah." She turned back to him with a genuine smile. "We can. I think it'll take a bit of adjustment, though. I've got to get used to calling you Sky. Getting to know the real you."

"I look forward to it." He hoped she liked what she found.


	22. Discoveries

See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 22 Discoveries

Their return to Alfea was met with brief celebration. Very brief. The failure of their mission dampened spirits, but Bloom succeeded in bringing the faculty of both schools together for a short meeting.

They settled in a familiar conference room, the same room in which Bloom had told her friends and the heads of the schools about SAO. _That wasn't a fun night_. She set aside those memories and focused on the people seated around the table watching her expectantly. Faragonda was there, as were Palladium, Wizgiz, Dufour, and Saladin. Codatorta and Griselda were overseeing the students and coordinating Alfea's defenses. Between them, the five girls told the story of their adventure on Domino. Bloom did much of the talking, with Techna adding salient details, while Stella and Musa added their own dramatic touches.

Flora was oddly reticent, mostly restricting herself to being supportive and adding the odd comment. Bloom knew that seeing a living world that had been reduced to a ball of ice troubled her and resolved to talk to her later. There was a crucial meeting to get through first. Certain things needed to happen quickly, and she needed the teachers' cooperation.

Seeing that their audience was disappointed and knowing that there might not be much time before the next attack, Bloom got straight to the heart of the matter. "Things aren't as hopeless as you might think. While I didn't get the Dragon's Fire back, I did learn a few important things. I spoke to Daphne while I was on Domino. None of us have been able to figure out how the Trix were able to steal the Dragon's Fire in the first place. That's been a major stumbling block for us."

"Indeed." Palladium nodded. "It should be impossible. At least, that is what my research suggests." The other teachers nodded, looking frustrated and dejected.

"Something like that breaks what we consider fundamental rules of magic, doesn't it?" Bloom asked.

Several of the teachers nodded, not sure where she was going with this line of thought.

"That isn't what they did. My sister told me that the Dragon's Fire can't be taken from me. The witches are bound by the same rules of magic as the rest of us. What they did was find a way to tap into it, but that's all. Whatever they did blocked my own access as well, creating the illusion that they'd done something impossible, but I know it's still there. I was able to tap into it for just a second on Domino. I felt the power when I saw Sky in danger and was able to set my sword burning. It only lasted for a second, but it worked."

"That is promising," Faragonda admitted, looking intrigued but not yet daring to hope. What Bloom had learned meant that the Trix were not as powerful as they had believed. They had not actually broken the fundamental laws of magic, merely found a way to circumvent them. "If you can learn to tap into it again, you may be able to reclaim the power from the Trix. That will end their control of the Army of Decay, and hopefully, the spell animating it as well."

"I believe it will," Palladium mused. "Based on what little information we have on the Army and the spell that summons them, but I can't be sure without more information." He turned to face his most enigmatic student. "Information about the Army of Decay and about your own magic, Bloom."

"Such as?" Although she knew it had been coming and was eager to help, Bloom found that she was still warry of the questions the teachers might ask.

"There are many questions left unanswered about your magic," Palladium said. "I've been told the basics, but I need specifics. You learned to fight with a sword in a virtual environment, and yet you retain those skills in the real world. How?"

"I've always thought it had something to do with my magic, but I've never looked into it." She paused, looking down. "That would have meant telling people about SAO."

"Ah," he said, understanding her reluctance. While he was sympathetic, he could not let any lingering hesitation she might have keep him from learning what they needed to learn. "Well, that's behind you now, and the answers are almost certainly relevant to our current dire situation."

Bloom nodded, pushing back her emotions on the subject. "I know. It's the only aspect of my magic I seem to have held onto. Assuming it is part of my magic."

"I believe it is." Palladium stated. "And now that I have a better idea of the state of your magic and the Dragon's Fire, I believe a few simple tests will help us determine a way to get the Dragon's Fire back under your control."

"That is excellent news," Saladin said, and Faragonda nodded. "How much time will you need to run your tests?"

"Hard to say," Palladium admitted. "The initial diagnostics will only take a few minutes. Depending on what I learn from them, I will have a better idea of how to proceed. No more than an hour should provide us with some concrete answers."

"We should get started then." Bloom stated. "We've no way of knowing when the Trix will attack next." She focused on Faragonda. "I will work with Palladium to get my magic back. At the very least, we may learn how the Trix managed it. It might give us a way to reverse what they've done and allow me to take the Dragon's Fire away from them."

"You should start right away, then." Faragonda agreed. She turned to the other teachers and began to speak, but Bloom wasn't done.

"There is something else we should consider while we're all here."

"What's that?" Faragonda asked, pausing as she'd turned to address Saladin.

"Cloud Tower." Bloom answered succinctly. "Have you heard anything from Headmistress Griffin since the Trix took over her school?"

"Sadly, no." Faragonda shook her head. "None of the students have been seen either."

Bloom nodded, having suspected as much. "If we can get a team in there, we may be able to free the witches and learn more about how the Trix got control of the Dragon's Fire, or at least more about their current plans. It's also possible that Griffin, if she's still alive, knows more about the magic the Trix used and about the Army of Decay. She did teach them, after all."

Faragonda considered, but shook her head. "It is a worthy idea, but we should try to get your magic back first. Professor Palladium will run his tests. It won't take long, and it will be worth the delay if we can restore the Dragon's Fire to you without confronting the Trix directly. Depending on what we learn, though, a raid on Cloud Tower may be our best option."

"Do we have maps of the witches' school?" Bloom asked, trying to cover all of their bases while everyone was together. "How about the land surrounding it? Might be a good idea to pull that stuff together, as well as whatever supplies we might need while I work with Palladium; just in case a raid is necessary."

Faragonda nodded, conceding that it was a good idea. "I believe we can do better than a map. I'll have someone look into it. My priority, for the moment, is strengthening the school's defenses. I have some warding schemes that should help if Professor Saladin will assist me in setting them up." Red Fountain's headmaster looked intrigued and nodded.

"I believe I can take care of the preparations for the raid," Techna offered. "I can pull together some useful technology and magic for our trip."

"Good. I'll leave that to you then." Bloom rose and looked to Palladium. "Let's get started, professor." They left the room. The other students followed her example, each having their own duties to attend to. Faragonda and the other teachers remained seated, waiting till the students were gone.

"Quite the little general, isn't she?" Saladin commented. Faragonda frowned slightly. "I'm sure she meant no offense. Bloom is simply trying to deal with the situation as efficiently as she can. I suspect she has had experience planning raids and battles."

"I'm not offended." Faragonda shook her head. "It's just sad that she, that any of them, has to think on such things. We fought so hard, sacrificed so much, so that this generation could have peace."

"There will always be new threats," Saladin answered sadly. He knew exactly how she felt, but he also knew they didn't have time to be maudlin. "Each generation fights its own battles. Let us see if we can't end this particular battle quickly." He dove into an in depth discussion of warding with Faragonda and a few of Alfea's teachers.

OOOOOOOOOO

Palladium had Bloom sit in the chair he'd placed in the middle of a ritual circle carved into the floor of the chamber he had led her to. The room, set aside for potentially dangerous or messy ritual magic, didn't see much use, save by senior fairies at Alfea who had very specific interests. The room was heavily warded to prevent any spells that went awry from spilling out onto the campus proper. The four thick stone walls were reinforced by magic, and each bore symbols that Bloom recognized from advanced texts she'd peeked at while working on various class projects. She knew they were powerful containment seals, and wondered at the kinds of magic used in the room that would require that level of protection.

"Isn't this room overkill for a 'few simple tests?'"

The professor glanced at her. "Better safe than sorry. Besides, those wards also block all forms of magical spying."

Bloom nodded, satisfied with the answer, though still a bit nervous.

"This shouldn't take long," Palladium assured her as he bustled about. "I've got a good idea of how to proceed. I just need to verify it." He spent a few moments consulting various books and scribbling on a piece of paper before he retrieved and set five candles at various points around the circle. "This shouldn't hurt a bit," he assured her, "but you might feel strange for a few minutes."

He began to chant in a language it hurt her throat to even hear, and the smoke from the candles rose and swirled in strange patterns, moving around her. Smoke, she knew, did not move that way normally, but given the involvement of magic, nothing was really a surprise. At least not until the smoke closed in around her and forced her to inhale.

The smoke was gone in an instant, as was the room. Feeling strangely calm, Bloom looked around her. The environment she found herself in was weirder than anything she had ever seen. _And that's saying a lot_ , Bloom mused. She wasn't sitting in the chair anymore, nor was she standing. There was nothing but a void, but it was far from featureless. Bloom saw colors and lights, both muted and intense, all around her as she floated in that void. She had once read an account of an acid trip taken by a long time addict and wondered if this might be what it was like. The colors moved randomly around her, not seeming to follow any pattern.

Like a flowing river.

Like a raging fire.

Like a whirlwind.

Like nothing she'd ever imagined.

After an eternity or a few seconds, she wasn't sure which, shapes started to emerge from the shifting colors. Dragons of all sizes, shapes, and colors came and went, some moving at a leisurely pace, flying by at a distance. Others buzzed by her so fast they were gone before she could react. Finally, one, a very large one, came to hover directly in front of her, beating its wings slowly as it stared at her.

Pondering.

Weighing.

Judging.

Bloom found that she couldn't speak or move, couldn't react in any way. She felt pinned by the weight of the creature's scrutiny. It didn't seem to matter to the dragon. Somehow she knew what it wanted, what it expected of her.

When it apparently reached a decision, the dragon reached for her with one talon and gently touched her forehead. She understood.

Satisfied, the dragon withdrew. It regarded her a moment longer, and then bowed to her before disappearing back into the swirling colors from which it had emerged.

The colors and lights faded, and the world returned. "-most interesting." Palladium was saying. "It should indeed be possible to restore your magic. It will require a few more tests, however, to determine the best way to proceed." He glanced over at her. "This might take a little more time than I originally thought."

"I don't think so." Bloom stood and walked out of the circle. "No more tests. I know what I need to do." The understanding granted to her had begun to fade, but the purpose that understanding had instilled in her remained strong.

"What do you mean?" Palladium scrambled to intercept her. There was so much more to do.

Bloom paused, thinking about the best way to put what she had learned into words. "It's hard to explain, but I know I can take control again. It begins with letting go."

"What?" Her teacher blinked in confusion.

"I don't entirely understand myself," she admitted. "I just know that when the time comes, I will be able to take back the Dragon's Fire." The calm certainty in her voice gave Palladium pause. "There's a lot to be done first, though. I don't have time for your tests. None of us do. The Trix have created an… imbalance, and it's getting worse."

She moved past an unresisting Palladium and into the corridor to find her friends. Griffin and her students needed to be freed. That, she knew, was the first step.

Palladium watched her go with a slight frown. He didn't know what had happened that made her suddenly so certain of the right course. He did know the ritual tapped into certain fundamental magical forces. There were unconfirmed reports, folk tales really, about people making a direct connection to those forces and gaining rare understanding and clarity. Personally, he thought it more likely that the smoke caused hallucinations. Something about the way Bloom carried herself, though, had changed.

Before the ritual, she had been nervous, uncertain. The bare outline of a plan based on an enemy's perceived weakness wasn't good enough, and she knew it. Despite the brave face she had shown everyone, Palladium suspected that the SAO survivor was making it up as she went along.

The Bloom that had just walked out of the room, though, was confident. She knew what needed to be done, and he could see that she had no doubts. He hoped that confidence was justified, for all their sakes.

OOOOOOOOOO

Bloom made her way back to where her friends were waiting. "I can get the Dragon's Fire back," she said without preamble. "But we have a lot of work to do first."

"Like freeing the witches at Cloud Tower?" Techna speculated, having already begun to make preparations for the raid.

"Right. Freeing them will deprive the Trix of hostages and bolster our own defenses here. Hopefully, we'll also learn more about the Trix' plans. Getting the Dragon's Fire back is going to be a bit more complicated, though."

"How so?" Stella asked for the group.

"It's hard to explain." Bloom tried to put what she'd seen and felt into words, but the girls just looked confused. "There was a lot of symbolism in what I saw." She shook her head. "I'll know the proper time when it arrives. I know it can't be done from a distance, and I know that certain things have to happen first. Some of which I have no control over." She paused to think for a few seconds about what the dragon had conveyed to her. "There's an old saying on Earth. Fortune favors the bold. We are not just going to sit around waiting for things to happen."

"Right then." Techna nodded. "Freeing the witches from the Trix seems a good place to start. I've been making plans for just that." She turned and led the way toward Faragonda's office. "Come on. I'll show you."

At the end of the short walk, Bloom found Faragonda and Saladin waiting with someone else, someone familiar. That someone took one look at Bloom and tried to hide behind Alfea's headmistress.

"Knut?" the old fairy asked, startled. "What's wrong?"

"What is he doing here?" Bloom asked; her tone cold.

"Knut has left the Trix' service," Faragonda explained. "He wishes to help us. During the last attack, he fought bravely to defend the school."

"I did!" the ogre said from behind the headmistress. "I really do want to help. Those witches are crazy. They want to take over everything. Even the Ogre Realm. My mom lives there."

Survival and self-interest. That was a motivation Bloom could understand from the ogre. She saw no point in saying that in front of him, though. "Okay. How can you help?"

"There are tunnels running between the three schools." Faragonda answered. "Knut knows those tunnels well. He will guide you."

Bloom considered, looking dubiously at the ogre. That was entirely too convenient. She'd learned in Ancraid to be wary of advantages that just dropped into her lap. "How do we know he won't lead us straight into a trap?"

Knut shivered. "I won't! I promise. I don't want you coming after me and mine."

Faragonda looked from Bloom to the cowering ogre in confusion. Then she decided she might be better off not knowing. "We have used magic to determine that he is telling the truth. He really does fear the witches' plans, and he does wish to help."

"Okay," Bloom said, a bit reluctantly. "If you're certain, we'll take him along as a guide."

"You won't regret it," Knut promised.

The redhead swallowed her initial impulse to warn the ogre. He could be useful, and she didn't want to alienate him any more than she already had. "Come on. We'd best get started." She looked at Faragonda. "I'd like to take Stella, as well as Sky and his team. I think Flora, Musa, and Techna would be more use here, defending the school."

"Indeed they will," Faragonda agreed. "All of the signs point to their efforts being essential to Alfea's defense."

"Between them, they should be able to slow the army down, at least." Bloom nodded, thoughtfully. "Flora by herself could probably put up an effective area denial defense. I don't know what those things use for brains, but I'm betting Musa can produce the right frequencies to scramble them."

Saladin nodded, pleased and impressed with the strategic thinking the girl displayed. "That was our thinking, too."

"We'll do what we can here," Faragonda said. "You'll have to convince the girls."

"And Sky and his team?" Bloom glanced at Red Fountain's headmaster.

"They're all yours," the old warrior nodded.

"Good." She had her reservations about Riven, but as much as he could be an irritant, he had skills that could come in handy. She had seen him work with his squad, and their teamwork was excellent, even when they were in the midst of an argument.

Nodding politely to the two, she gestured for Knut to follow her and went to find her friends. It wasn't hard. They were waiting for her. There was a lot to do, but they managed to stick close together until Bloom appeared. Then they all gathered around.

"We have work to do, but we need to discuss it in private. I don't want any chance of the Trix spying on us." She led the way to the ritual chamber, Knut's presence only garnering curious looks from the girls. They collected the specialists along the way. At some point, Kiko and the little duck that Flora had conjured for the Trix months ago appeared. Bloom looked questioningly at Knut who hastily introduced the animal as Pepe. Bloom shrugged, and they moved on.

Not long after that, Yui joined them. Bloom decided she really was going to have to ask at some point how the virtual pixie was out and about, but for the moment there were other matters to attend to.

"I'm told," she said as they entered the chamber, "that the runes on the walls prevent all forms of magical spying. So we can talk freely here and make plans without worrying that the Trix will know about it."

The others looked around the room curiously. Only Techna recognized the symbols. "Yes," she said, a trifle nervous at the power that those runes represented. "They should certainly do that." She refocused on Bloom. "What did you have in mind?"

"Knut is going to lead us through the tunnels to Cloud Tower. Our priority is to free as many of the captive witches as we can. We're not going there to confront the Trix, but any information we can gather while there will be useful."

"What sort of information?" Riven asked. He was not all that happy to be taking orders from Bloom, let alone to be following her on a fool's errand. A raid on Cloud Tower was almost certainly suicide. Sky was dopy enough in love, though, not to care. Brandon was there to protect Prince Sky. No hope of reason there. The geek, he glanced at Timmy, would follow the majority, even if the majority walked over a cliff. He did his best not to let his reservations show. One way or another, though, he was getting out of this mess alive.

"The kind our new friend Knut is going to provide us with right now." She turned to the ogre. "I want you to tell us exactly what led to your decision to leave the Trix. Every detail you can remember."

"Um… Okay." Knut thought for a moment. "I always thought those three were just after some power and respect. That's the kind of thing ogres understand. Be strong. Be respected. Take what you want. They was just kids when I met 'em." He shook his head. "I knew they'd go far, but at the time all they wanted was to rule the school." He paused and thought. "It was easy workin' for 'em. A cushy gig for an ogre. After a while, though, things changed."


	23. Knut's Story

See Ch. 1 for disclaimers.

CH. 23 Knut's Story

The group surrounding him laughed as Knut fell on his face yet again. Despite the bruises he had collected, he scrambled to his feet and glared at them. Looking weak before them was not an option. Drob, the pack leader for this particular group, sneered at him.

"You? Warrior? You're barely an ogre." The others laughed uproariously as Knut launched himself at Drob again. Drob met him head on with a blow to the gut and another to the jaw that laid Knut out again. "Weakling."

Knut tried to get to his feet again, but one of the other young ogres in Drob's group kicked his feet out from under him. "Just stay down," the hanger-on, too weak himself to ever be more than a flunky for someone like Drob, advised the smaller ogre. "You can't beat one of us, let alone all of us."

Knut ground his teeth as they walked away, turning their backs on him without hesitation. Growling in frustration but knowing it was pointless, he got up slowly and headed for home. The village, a generous name for the rambling collection of huts spread along the bank of the Brekath river, was going through one of its regular dry periods. Everything had to be rationed, and it left every ogre living there in a foul mood. The Brekath was wide and deep, but the level had dropped enough that the village's irrigation system was bone dry, and water had to be carried to the fields and orchards.

Knut was due at the river soon. At his age, he'd normally be hunting with the other young adults, but because of his shortcomings, that road was closed to him. As were any tasks involving caring for the beasts kept by the clan, which was unfortunate. Knut liked animals, a personality quirk that got him teased mercilessly. The animals were important to the clan, Knut had tried to justify himself. Shouldn't they be cared for? The others, the warriors especially, merely laughed at him.

Knut watched the other villagers as he walked. Ogres were contentious creatures by nature and he was no exception, but he didn't have the same drive to violence that most of his kind did. He sought to reason when most ogres would argue or fight. In a society that consisted of loose knit clans, none more than a couple of hundred strong, that made him stand out. Despite what Drob had said; Knut knew he was not physically weaker than any one of the group. He just wasn't as vicious, as willing to cause others pain. As far as the rest of his clan was concerned, though, that made him weak.

Knut didn't understand it. He was as willing to fight as anyone, but he knew that Ogre civilization, such as it was, would fall apart without people willing to reason. It was endlessly frustrating.

Even the elders of his village, those that sought to keep the peace and enforce the rules necessary for their society to function, found him lacking. His weak eyes got most of the blame. Since he couldn't see very well, and most thought he used that as an excuse for cowardice. In the eyes of his fellows, he was either a weakling or a coward, and none of them could see any other explanation.

Some days, when it was quiet and he had time to think, Knut thought he saw the glimmer of a different way, but then someone would insult or attack him, and he'd be expected to do something violent about it. If he didn't, the village's opinion of him would just sink lower.

OOOOOOOOOO

After a long, tiring day, Knut returned home. The hut he shared with his mother was just that. A hut. It had one main room with a fire pit in the center under an opening in the roof to allow the smoke to escape and a curtained off sleeping area to give his mother some privacy. It wasn't much, but it was enough for them. It wasn't much, but the wood and mud walls and roof kept them warm and dry through the rainy season. There were larger and better made homes in the village, but it was really all he and his mother needed.

He found her cooking a meagre meal with their ration of meat and root vegetables. His mother was not a hunter, but she had earned her share of food by skinning the kills and dressing the meat that the hunters brought back. It was not a feast by any stretch of the imagination, but it kept them alive.

There had been very little to do beyond menial tasks for either of them since a conflict with another clan, three years before, had killed his father and crippled his mother. She was no longer able to hunt or fight the clan's battles. She was still valued, though, for her knowledge of plants and beasts. She had also earned her place as a warrior. The sacrifice she had made for the clan assured her a place that Knut himself was never likely to have.

His mother greeted him warmly, as always. His poor eyesight and lack of ambition didn't matter to her. She insisted on calling it a lack of ambition, never weakness or cowardice as the others did.

He ushered her to a chair and had her sit down at their small table, knowing that walking was painful for her and that she tired quickly. To spare her pride he insisted that he just wanted to make himself feel useful. Carrying buckets all day did nothing to improve Knut's own low opinion of himself.

She knew better, but she didn't object when he made excuses. Her legs really did ache something fierce. So, she watched as her son finished preparing the evening meal and dished up two portions of stew. It was a meagre meal for an ogre, but no one in the village was growing fat.

"I heard a rumor today," Knut's mother offered after a couple of bites. "Outworlders will be in the area soon, visiting some of the larger villages. They're looking for muscle, people to fight for them."

"Usual arrangement?" Knut asked. "Series of fights to see who's toughest?" That was usually the only way ogres left their own realm, in the employ of someone else. There was no shortage of conflict out there, and ogres made excellent soldiers. Naturally, when someone was just after a few flunkies or just one bodyguard, they wanted the best. Since a tournament was being arranged, that meant that whoever the outworlder was, they were looking for a single bodyguard or perhaps several brutes for rough work. That kind of work didn't tend to bother ogres. Violence was second nature to them anyway.

"Probably." She nodded. "You should enter."

Knut stared at her. "Ma?"

She set down her bowl and stared at him solemnly. "I know how they see you, Knut. If you don't even try, that will never change. You need to try, if nothing else. I know you'll surprise them and yourself."

Knut considered her words. It was true that he'd be laughed at if he didn't even try to compete, but would it be worse than the ridicule if he tried and failed? He honestly wasn't sure. It was possible it would be less, so he made the decision to enter. Fortunately, his mother knew the details. All he had to do was show up at the natural amphitheater; an hour's walk upriver from the village, and be willing to participate.

"Okay, ma, I'll do it." That decided, the rest of the meal passed in peace with limited small talk. Knut knew his mother tired quickly due to her old injuries and would soon be ready for bed. As per usual, he cleaned their home and did the remaining chores while she went to lie down. He had a lot to think about.

OOOOOOOOOO

The site of the trials was almost traditional. The natural amphitheater at the river was a perfect place for such competitions and had been used for that purpose for almost as long as outworlders had been visiting the Ogre realm. Knut knew that there were likely to be other such sites across the realm, but he had only ever been to this one.

He had been there several times over the years to watch the older ogres compete to impress some outworlder, and it usually made for a good show. The competitors always fought their hardest and used their most vicious techniques. He had learned a lot about personal combat just by watching those contests. Now, for the first time, he was competing. Knut knew he stood little chance of winning, but the effort alone would gain him some measure of respect, providing he didn't completely humiliate himself.

On entering the amphitheater, he got his first look at his prospective employers. He wasn't sure what to make of them. Knut wasn't terribly good at judging age, even in his own kind, and had no idea how to judge the age of a person of another species. Nevertheless, the three witches that had come to the Ogre realm looking for hired muscle gave every indication of being young. Younger, in fact, than he was. Having become an adult of his clan only a year before, he found himself wondering what these young females were doing out on their own.

What were they after? Were they the clients? Were they there on behalf of one of their parents that wanted the girls to pick their own bodyguard? Knut shrugged off these thoughts as unimportant. He'd know soon enough.

Knut took his place with the other contenders, standing before the three girls. As was his habit, he stood a bit apart to avoid becoming part of the shoving match that always seemed to develop at such events. It happened every time, even though it rarely made a positive impression on their potential employers.

As appearances were important, he made an effort to stand tall and look dignified. Everyone wanted to be front row center to draw a prospective client's attention, but that spot was always the center of any struggle that developed. Some actually thought that they could improve their chances by beating up the competition before the fights even began. This usually got the offender ejected, as no one wanted a soldier with no self-control.

To Knut's surprise, there was very little shoving, at least after Drob knocked over three smaller ogres in an impressive display of strength and stepped forward expecting to be given the job immediately. One of the three girls waved her hand negligently. There was a blinding flash of light and Drob vanished.

"Any fighting will happen when _we_ say so. Understood?" The witch, for that's what she had to be, hadn't even bothered to rise from her seat. There was quiet muttering and shuffling, and the other ogres settled into something resembling an orderly formation.

"Better," another of the witches nodded. She laid out the rules for the competition. They weren't terribly well thought out, Knut realized. The competition wouldn't be as organized as some, but it would certainly weed out the weaklings.

With Drob gone and one of his victims in no shape to continue, that left 24. Eighteen were from Knut's village; the rest had made the trip from their nearest neighbor. They were divided into six groups of four and were told the first round was a free-for-all. The last one standing in each group would move on. They divided up randomly for the most part, with little thought to strategy, but he noted that two of the groups contained one large and three smaller ogres. He wasn't sure whether that was strategy or not, or whose strategy it was. The three smaller ones might intend to gang up on the larger, which was a workable initial plan, or the larger might have arranged to have three small-fry, arrogant enough to believe he could take all three.

His own group was composed of ogres who were roughly the same size. He found himself facing Onde, one of Drob's pack, and two youths from the other village. He knew people generally by shape, color and scent. His eyes didn't allow for much more detail. Onde was among the smallest of that pack, and Knut knew that he usually relied on teamwork with another of the smaller ogre to win fights. That meant he'd be desperate and willing to use whatever tricks he knew. The other two might dismiss him due to his size, but Knut knew better. He didn't know what to expect of the other two.

They waited impatiently for the signal to begin. When it came, the two foreign ogres moved in concert and flattened Onde by striking in concert. They immediately turned on Knut, but he was already in motion. Plowing into the two, he sent them staggering back and causing them to trip over Onde who had apparently rolled with the blows they'd landed and was getting to his feet as soon as their backs were turned. The impact finished the job of knocking him out, and Knut threw himself on top of the other two, punching them where they'd fallen. With the wind knocked out of them by the impact, they were easy targets, and both of the strangers were soon unconscious.

Knut had to wait for a little while before he was allowed to fight in the next round. His free-for-all had been over in under a minute. Several brawls were still going on. He watched them as best he could till they were all done, trying to get an idea of what to expect from the winners of those fights.

Two of the brawls left all four involved ogres unable to compete any further, and that seemed to annoy the witches. They loudly labeled all eight losers, sending them away with broken bones and bruised egos for their trouble. That left four. He was somewhat nervous about his match, but he did his best to hide it. His fight was first.

His first opponent was Dorit, another one of Drob's pack. The other male was about his size, but considerably stronger. Knut knew he had the edge in speed, but his eyesight was a real hindrance in this competition. He set himself and waited for the initial rush, hoping to dodge it and trip Dorit.

Not surprisingly, he misjudged the distance, and Dorit easily corrected and knocked him down. Knut barely rolled aside in time to avoid the stomp aimed at his head. Rolling to his feet, he managed to dodge a kick to the side, though just barely.

"This is pathetic," one of the witches watching them commented. "He can't even see his opponent. Why did he bother coming?"

"I wonder how he found his way here," another snarked. This earned her laughter from the other two and a few of the watching ogres. Knut felt his temper fraying at the laughter. He met the next attack head on with a blow to the gut and a right cross to the chin. Dorit fell back, more surprised than hurt. He easily dodged the next haymaker aimed at his head, barely having to move.

"This is just sad," one of the witches commented. "Hey! Yellow guy. Catch."

Knut looked toward them and felt something small and light strike his face. He fumbled a bit, but caught it before it fell.

"Put that on your face, covering your eyes."

Knut was confused, but he did as instructed. He found that the object unfolded, consisting of two smooth cool surfaces in some kind of structure that included curved bits he thought fit over his ears. He positioned them so they were in front of his eyes and gasped as the world around him sprung into sharp focus in a way it never had before. He could see Dorit and everything else clearly.

"Th-thank you, Mistress!" He was about to say more when a motion caught from the corner of his eye caused him to step back. Dorit's blow, failing to connect, caused him to stumble over Knut's outstretched leg and trip. Knut turned quickly to take advantage, but Dorit rolled out of the way and was on his feet again a second later. He smiled cruelly.

"You look stupider than ever with those things on your face!"

"Maybe, but I can see now." Knut responded. Then he frowned. "Wow. You are really ugly!" This earned him a chuckle from one of the witches.

Dorit growled and charged. Knut, now better able to judge distance and proportion, leaned to one side to avoid the punch and drove a knee into Dorit's gut. When the other doubled over, Knut clenched his fists together and delivered a knockout blow to the back of his opponent's head.

Barely daring to believe that it could be that easy, Knut prodded his downed opponent with a foot and got only a vague groan in response. He glanced up at the three witches and saw them nod approvingly, before one of them waved a hand, sending Dorit out of the competition for good.

The other match was decided after only a few moments when one of the ogres succeeded in breaking his opponent's neck. Knut watched the vicious stranger closely as they squared off. He was about Knut's size, but he was clearly a more experienced fighter. Knut knew this would be a difficult win. Dorit had, to some degree, depended on Knut not being able to see well. He knew he wouldn't have that advantage with the stranger.

The two circled for a moment, looking for advantage. At first, nothing presented itself. Then, the other charged forward, swinging for Knut's face, probably, the ogre realized, to deprive him of the witch's wonderful gift. He barely dodged the swing and tried to grab his opponent's elbow. The other ogre was a better fighter than Dorit, though, and he hadn't over-extended himself or lost his balance. They parted briefly before coming together for a quick exchange of blows.

Knut was careful to protect his face and make his own blows count as much as he could. The body blows, he ignored as best he could in order to land his own hits. Ogres were, for the most part, simple brawlers that never put much effort into technique. Most were happy to simply hit an enemy until they stopped moving, but Knut was realizing that against his current opponent, that wouldn't be enough.

Moving to circle once more, Knut examined the other ogre for any hint of weakness. Any advantage he could claim. Two more quick and nearly disastrous encounters gave him what he needed. Although the approaches were different, the other ogre kept going for his eyes. This made him predictable. Knut knew what to do.

The next attack began with a kick to the gut. Knut didn't try to dodge it, but instead accepted the pain and pushed forward, knocking the other back even as he took a swipe at the witches' gift. The other hadn't been expecting that and was thrown off balance. Rather than leap on him and start pounding, as he had before, Knut grabbed his opponent's leg and pulled, ensuring that the other couldn't roll aside and get up as Dorit had during their last match.

Knowing he had little time before the other countered this move, Knut began to drag his opponent in a circle, as fast as he could. Within seconds, the other was airborne and helpless. Knut spun as fast as he could and released the other toward the nearest wall.

The other ogre twisted in the air, trying to land on his feet, but he didn't quite make it. Striking the wall at a bad angle apparently broke some of the other's bones. Knut winced in sympathy as the other tried to stand, only to fall over when his right leg gave way.

"Looks like the job is yours."

Knut glanced over at the witches and then gave them his full attention. "It was your wonderful gift that made it possible, mistresses." Knut bowed deep, nearly losing said gift.

"They're called glasses, and they're not a big deal." The white-haired witch answered. "What is your name?"

"Knut, mistress. It will be an honor to serve you."

"Of course it will," one of the others snorted. "Goes without saying. We'll be leaving this dump of a realm in two hours. Pack whatever you need and be back here. If you're late, it's your hide. Understand?"

"Yes, mistress." Knut turned and ran from the scene of the tournament. It had taken the better part of an hour to walk to the amphitheater. He knew he would just make it home if he ran. Fortunately, he encountered no one on the road and reached home where his mother had just returned after her work tanning hides for the day.

Bursting through the door, he spotted her at the cook fire and cried out to her. "Ma! I did it! I won!"

She turned to face him, surprised at his sudden entry. Then what her son had said registered. "You won?"

"The witches looking for servants gave me something to help me see. I was able to tell where my opponents were and what they were doing so much easier!"

"You can see?" She moved closer to examine the strange device on his face. "This is wonderful. They must be kind and generous mistresses. You will have a fine future with them, my son." Saying goodbye to Knut wouldn't be easy, but she knew he had little to no future in their small village.

"Ma. I…"

"I know it will be hard to leave home," she interrupted, seeing his expression at the sudden realization that he would be leaving. Needing to encourage and reassure him, she pressed on. "There is nothing here for one of your talents. The village takes care of its veterans, so I won't be wanting. I want you to have a wonderful future."

He hugged her. "I'm sure I will, ma. I need to pack. They expect me back soon." Gathering his meagre belongings didn't take long, and he soon had a small leather pack slung over his shoulder. He hugged her once more, holding back tears that he feared even his mother would find unacceptable and set out for the meeting with his new employers.

Upon arriving back at the amphitheater, Knut gave his new mistresses the traditional oath of service, which they listened to impatiently before accepting. He knew that, for outlanders, it might seem a silly ritual, but Knut had been raised to respect it and never go back on that promise.

OOOOOOOOOO

For the next two years, he served the witches faithfully. The tasks set him by the witches were fairly easy. On a few occasions, all he had to do was stand behind them and look menacing as they negotiated with someone they couldn't overpower. That wasn't hard, provided he remembered to take off his glasses. When he didn't, people looked at him strangely and tended not to be afraid. The first time that had happened, the witches had taken the glasses away for a week as punishment, but his tendency to bump into things convinced his employers to return them.

He was often sent on errands, gathering spell ingredients from unpleasant or dangerous places. None of those tasks were terribly difficult or dangerous for him, and he concerned himself more with observing his employers. When he got past their alien appearance and mannerisms, he found that he understood them pretty well.

Their behavior at the school they attended made it pretty clear they sought to be alphas. Knut watched the trio rise to the top of their 'social ladder,' a phrase he found rather bizarre. The other students and even the teachers, to a degree, treated them with deference. It wasn't enough for them.

He saw that quite plainly, but he didn't know enough about their world to guess where they'd go after leaving school. For the most part, it didn't concern him. The future would sort itself out. It always did. The young learned and settled down or they were smacked down by someone stronger. He kept his peace, knowing that saying such a thing to the young witches would be a terrible mistake.

At their insistence, he kept himself to the shadows, never letting any of the other students or the teachers know he was there. That suited him fine. The school's headmistress scared him. Knut had seen demonstrations of her magic.

On one occasion, an overly ambitious student had tried to summon a powerful dark creature. It looked to Knut like a cross between a giant bug and an equally huge snake. The young witch had managed to get it to bow to her, but then lost control. Had the headmistress not been observing, it would have likely killed her. Griffin had stepped in, and it had been the work of a few seconds to send the creature back where it came from, suitably chastened for its attempt to harm one of her students.

Moving through the secret passages that Cloud Tower boasted, Knut was able to remain unseen while he ran his errands. He wondered about the original purpose of the tunnels, but he didn't ask. They seemed to connect all three schools, but many had not been used in years. Some had become unstable, and others had become home to things even ogres knew to avoid.

The tunnels reeked, and moving about in them wasn't pleasant for a creature with such a sensitive nose. Still, that nose allowed him to avoid most of the problems in the tunnels while running his errands. Fetching them things and occasionally intimidating people for them made up the majority of his duties, and he was quite satisfied with it, until the young witches began actively seeking what they saw as their destiny.

That was when things began to go wrong. Knut's interactions with fairies to that point had left him unimpressed. They seemed as weak to him as he seemed to his fellow ogres, something he would have found ironic had he known what the word meant. Despite that, he began to develop a fondness for the slight, willowy creatures. They responded with reason to things that an ogre would start a brawl over. They showed compassion where an ogre would feel contempt. On many occasions, he saw fairies exhibiting kindness to each other and even to animals; even though doing so often gained them nothing. Knut found that he was starting to like them and respect their values. After all, those values had built a remarkable civilization, the kind that ogres could never build.

He did not share this with his mistresses, though. Like his own people, the witches regarded fairies as weak for their compassion and generosity. They looked down on them. Bloom was no weakling, however, as she demonstrated in each encounter.

Each time his mistresses had targeted one of the fairies in a particular group of Alfea students, Bloom had proved herself more than a match for the mistresses. The redheaded fairy was stronger, smarter, and although he'd never say so to his mistresses, she could be a whole lot scarier.

Bloom's words on the Day of the Roses had unsettled the witches, though none of them would ever admit it. They dismissed it as posturing, but the fairy's words described a mindset that Knut recognized as belonging to some of the most dangerous and destructive Ogres in his realm's history. He couldn't say for sure that she believed them, and he hoped she did not. That kind of thinking from a person of such raw magical power was a frightening notion. All he knew for certain was that the fairy did not shy from conflict. She met each of the witches' attacks with a ferocity that would do an ogre proud.

The fairies Bloom kept company with were less vicious, he discovered but no less resolute. None of them, he quickly concluded, were weak. The witches, young hotheads that they were, refused to see this. They saw each of the fairies' victories as mere luck and continued to look down on them. Knut knew this view of the fairies was wrong and would likely lead to more defeats, but he held his peace. The witches didn't keep him around to offer sage advice. He quietly collected the duck the fairies had sent after the witches and cared for it without mentioning it to his mistresses. He liked the small creature and saw no harm as long as it didn't interfere with his duties.

The notion of stealing from the fairies didn't bother him, nor did the idea of harming them. His people were used to violence and death. The three mistresses referred to each other as 'sister.' That meant that the three were of one clan, and Knut had always been taught that any action that ensured the safety and prosperity of the clan was acceptable. So he helped them to trap the fairies, had attempted on more than one occasion to harm them. It was all for the benefit of the clan he now served and that justified everything.

Except... Their reliance on dark magic worried him slightly. Ogres used magic, he knew. The shamans of his own clan used it in tending the beasts and fields. They also used it for healing. This was common among all the clans. Ogres did not use magic in combat, though. That was seen as cowardly. He knew the witches had been raised differently and that they were not cowards by any means, so he didn't judge.

Some of the magic they used, though, called to mind a story he'd been told as a child. There had once been a clan that was on the verge of extinction. They'd made many enemies among their neighbors by taking from other clans. They claimed the finest lands for farming and hunting. They took herds from the more settled clans. Loot of all kinds was taken from neighboring villages after brutal raids. Finally, the neighboring clans had forged an alliance and acted as one to strike at the troublesome group.

The bandit clan, as the story called them, was pushed to the brink of destruction, back to the very heart of their territory. In desperation, the shaman of the bandit clan had made a pact with something horrible. No version of the story agreed on what it had been. No one knew for sure. All anyone knew was that monsters had swarmed across the battlefield, devastating the united clans. The ferocity of the creatures, the stories claimed, was something that even the mightiest ogre could not stand against. The bandit clan quickly regained all they had lost and began to push for more.

One day, their advance stopped without warning. The monsters withdrew from the ogre realm, vanishing entirely. Days passed with no sign of a renewed assault. A small group of warriors, comprised of the finest fighters the alliance had left, had gone into the bandit clan's territory to discover what had happened. They traveled for days, unopposed, seeing no trace of anyone until they reached the town that was the center of their power. Finally, they found the bandits.

All of them were dead to the last child. Slaughtered. By the wounds on the bodies, wounds that the warriors were all too familiar with, they concluded that the very monsters that had brought them victory after victory had turned on the bandit clan.

The reason for this was never discovered, but several versions of the story held that the warriors had found a temple at the center of the town. It had no doors and the shamans believed that it had been sealed with magic, perhaps in an effort to contain whatever had destroyed the bandit clan. Unfortunately, there had been no shaman with the group that day.

Suspecting that the answers they sought were inside, the warriors had, foolishly, his mother had always said, broken in. They found an old ogre in fine priestly robes lying before an altar. He had not been dead long, but his body had already begun to rot at an unnatural rate. When they entered the altar room; that rot started to spread from the body, corrupting all it touched.

The warriors had fled, setting fire to the temple as they did so. The rot spread beyond the temple and began to spread across the land, almost as if it were chasing them. After an hour's hard run, which not all of the warriors had survived, the rot stopped its advance. From a rise overlooking the town, the survivors of the party could see that the temple had collapsed and was still burning fiercely. The fire began to spread through the rest of the town, consuming the rot. They had returned to their clan heads and reported what they found.

The wisest of the ogre shamans would only speculate, but they all agreed that no one should ever enter the blighted lands again. As far as Knut knew, no one ever had. That piece of land continued to be lifeless even after centuries. Nothing grew there, and animals tended to avoid the place.

The story had always scared Knut silly as a child. He took it as a warning that some things should not be meddled with. Certain dark powers were best left untapped. He had considered sharing this story with his new employers, but by the time it occurred to him to do so, their obsession with gaining power had begun to scare him almost as much as the story.

They began to take even more drastic actions to achieve their aims. Knut stood by them faithfully, despite his growing doubts. Their use of the Minotaur worried him slightly only because summoning the dumb but very dangerous beast had been considered a minor matter. The nightmare gargoyle was another thing entirely. A Minotaur was a fairly neutral creature. It was simply a wild animal and not malicious by nature, but the nightmare gargoyle possessed a cruel intelligence and was known, even to the ogres, as a creature of darkest magic.

Knut held his peace, despite his growing worry. What if the witches called on something they couldn't control? The bandit clan had done that and been wiped out. He knew that the witches wouldn't listen to him. He had offered advice before only to be ignored or reprimanded. With very few options, Knut resolved to hold his peace and watch. If his mistresses got in over their heads, he would try to save them, but the story of the bandit clan suggested that he would be lucky if he could save himself.

OOOOOOOOOO

The mistresses returned in high spirits. They were exuberant about something, but when they were excited, they tended to speak in a kind of shorthand that he hadn't a clue about.

"My mistresses were successful, then?"

"We were." Icy confirmed his suspicion with a superior smirk. "Did you doubt?"

"No, mistress. I knew the fairy's luck would run out eventually."

"Good answer," Icy smirked. She took her seat at the table in their current hideout. "Now that we have the Dragon's Fire, we can move on to the next step in our plans. We take Cloud Tower. In their archives is the spell we need to summon the Army of Decay. Once we control that, we'll be unstoppable."

Knut frowned. _Army of Decay?_ That sounded ominous, and the very name brought to mind the story of the bandit clan and how the priest and their lands had rotted right before the warriors' eyes. Was that what had been used? Would history repeat itself? Knut said nothing. He didn't know for certain that things would go badly. He didn't know what had actually happened to the bandit clan so long ago. He also didn't want to be seen as acting against the wishes of his mistresses. That, Knut felt certain, wouldn't end well for him. He resolved to watch carefully, and if necessary, he would act against them.

OOOOOOOOOO

The takeover of Cloud Tower had been all but effortless for the three witches. Headmistress Griffin had barely been able to slow them down, and that was mainly because the three liked to show off.

They had locked down all of the teachers and uncooperative students, keeping only a few of their fans out of the dungeon to serve them. Even those supporters had needed to be locked up, though, when the Trix started summoning monsters. The giant roaches had been bad enough, but the actual Army of Decay had panicked even their most ardent supporters. Knut kept his peace, as he had no desire to join them in the dungeon, but he kept his eyes open for a chance to slip away. He also took to keeping the duckling with him so that the helpless little creature didn't get left behind when the opportunity to leave presented itself.

Moving through Cloud Tower more openly than he ever had before, Knut did his best to memorize a route to the nearest tunnel entrance, figuring the tunnels were his best chance. As part of his duties was to bring food to the prisoners, he took the chance to examine the locks on the doors. They were all complex, magical locks that brute force would not open. That ruled out freeing the teachers, and escaping with them. He dared not speak to any of them, as he never knew when the mistresses were watching.

For the moment, the witches were keeping him close, just doing chores within the school. That was worrisome, as he thought it might mean they were worried about him running. They showed no other signs of suspicion, though.

Some hope presented itself one afternoon. He was sent to fetch some special equipment from one of the storerooms. Based on what he had overheard, he thought they were having trouble tracking Bloom's movements and wanted another means. He wished he knew more about magic so he had an idea about how to avoid their magic eye-things. The best clue he had was that more monsters had been turned loose in the tunnels. That might mean that they didn't 'see' well down there or that they just didn't want to split their attention.

For the next two days, he watched, his anxiety getting harder and harder to hide as the army of monsters laid waste to Magix. Red Fountain fell, and the army began its march on Alfea. As their successes continued unabated, one battle after another, the witches' confidence and arrogance increased. The authorities in Magix were no match for the army, nor were the specialists of Red Fountain. They were initially repulsed from Alfea, but the three had expected that and weren't dissuaded. They began to make noises about conquering all of the magical realms.

Knut decided he'd had enough.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I took Pepe and headed off through the tunnels. Most of the monsters didn't bother us. I guess they're used to me being in the tunnels. I found my way here and got the students to take me to Miss Faragonda."

"I believe him," Bloom decided, after a moment's consideration. "It makes sense that the witches' plans would start to worry you when they started talking about taking over everything with an army of rotting monsters."

"It wasn't an easy thing to do," Knut protested. "Ogres take oaths of service very seriously. Breaking one is… Well, it's bad." He looked down, still ashamed of himself. "I didn't have a choice. Those witches are crazy, and they're meddling with things they shouldn't. The more they use that power, the more places they conquer, the worse it will be when it goes wrong. And it will go wrong. If they get as far as the Ogre realm…" He trailed off with a shudder.

"The story of the bandit clan is worrisome," Techna admitted, frowning in concentration as she pulled up a file on her personal system. "I wasn't able to find much data on the Army of Decay, but your story seems to match up with what little I did find."

"Are you prepared to guide us through the tunnels to Cloud Tower?" Bloom asked, meeting the ogre's eyes, watching his reaction carefully.

"I am." Knut showed no hesitation.

"Good. We need to gather as much information as possible and free the prisoners. I doubt we'll get a chance to take down the Trix, so we're not going to try."

"There are far too many unknowns." Techna agreed. "It does seem unlikely an attack on them would be successful at this point."

"We avoid them," Bloom nodded. "It's the only sensible course at this point." She looked around at her friends. "We're as ready as we'll ever be. Let's go."


End file.
